jest

English

Etymology

From Middle English geste (“idle tale”), from Old French geste (“acts, exploits”), from Latin gesta (“acts, deeds”)

Pronunciation

• enPR: jĕst, IPA^(key): /dʒest/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛst

Noun

jest (plural jests)

1. (archaic) An act performed for amusement; a joke.
   • Sheridan

     The Right Honourable gentleman is indebted to his memory for his jests, and to his imagination for his facts.

2. (archaic) Someone or something that is ridiculed; the target of a joke.

   Your majesty, stop him before he makes you the jest of the court.

   • Shakespeare

     Then let me be your jest; I deserve it.

3. (obsolete) A deed; an action; a gest.
   • Sir T. Elyot

     the jests or actions of princes

4. (obsolete) A mask; a pageant; an interlude.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Nares to this entry?)

   • Kyd

     He promised us, in honour of our guest, / To grace our banquet with some pompous jest.

Synonyms

• (joke): prank, gag, laughingstock, banter, crack, wisecrack, witticism
• See also Wikisaurus:joke

Translations

joke

• Finnish: pila (fi), vitsi (fi)
• Hungarian: tréfa (hu), tréfálkozás
• Italian: scherzo (it), barzelletta (it), battuta (it) f
• Portuguese: gracejo (pt) m

• Russian: насмешка (ru) f (nasméška), остро́та (ru) f (ostróta) (not to confuse with острота́ - bitterness, sharpness, etc.)
• Spanish: broma (es) f, chiste (es) m

target of a joke

• Finnish: naurunaihe, vitsi (fi)
• Hungarian: nevetség tárgya

• Italian: oggetto di scherno
• Russian: посмешище (ru) n (posméšišče)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: blaguer (fr)
• German: Spaß machen

Verb

jest (third-person singular simple present jests, present participle jesting, simple past and past participle jested)

1. To tell a joke; to talk in a playful manner; to make fun of something or someone.

   Surely you jest!

Synonyms

• (to joke): banter, kid, mock, tease

Translations

to tell a joke

• Finnish: vitsailla (fi)
• Hungarian: tréfálkozik (hu)
• Italian: affabulare
• Latin: iocor

• Maori: nene, whakanene
• Portuguese: gracejar (pt)
• Russian: шутить (ru) (šutítʹ)
• Spanish: bromear (es)

Derived terms

• jester
• jestingly

See also

• Wikipedia article on Jokes

Anagrams

• jets, Jets

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Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jɛst/

• Audio

  (file)

Verb

jest

1. third-person singular present indicative of być; is

   Ona jest ładna

   She's pretty

   Agnieszka jest studentką

   Agnieszka is a student.

2. (mathematics) is, equals (see also wynosi)

   dwa plus dwa jest cztery

   Two plus two is four