jest

See also: Jëst and jesť

English

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

• enPR: jĕst, IPA^(key): /dʒɛst/

• 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 Thesaurus:joke

Translations

joke

• Finnish: pila (fi), vitsi (fi)
• Georgian: ხუმრობა (xumroba), ოხუნჯობა (oxunǯoba)
• Greek:

  Ancient: χλεύη f (khleúē)

• Hungarian: tréfa (hu), tréfálkozás
• Italian: scherzo (it), barzelletta (it), battuta (it) f, celia (it) f, arguzia (it) f, facezia (it) f
• Latin: iocus m

• Maori: takao
• Pashto: ټوکه‎ (ps) f (ṭoka)
• Portuguese: gracejo (pt) m, piada (pt) f
• Russian: насме́шка (ru) f (nasméška), остро́та (ru) f (ostróta) (not to confuse with острота́ - bitterness, sharpness, etc.)
• Scottish Gaelic: fealla-dhà m
• Spanish: broma (es) f, chiste (es) m

target of a joke

• Finnish: naurunaihe, vitsi (fi)
• French: risée (fr) f
• Georgian: დაცინვის საგანი (dacinvis sagani), დასაცინი (dasacini), სასაცილო (sasacilo)
• Hungarian: nevetség tárgya

• Italian: oggetto di scherno, zimbello (it) m
• Maori: omeke
• Russian: посме́шище (ru) n (posméšišče)

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

Derived terms

• jester
• jestingly

Translations

to tell a joke

• Finnish: vitsailla (fi)
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: σκώπτω (skṓptō)

• Hungarian: tréfálkozik (hu)
• Italian: scherzare (it), affabulare
• Latin: iocor

• Maori: nene, whakanene, kārikarika
• Persian: لاغیدن‎ (fa) (lâğidan)
• Portuguese: gracejar (pt)
• Russian: шути́ть (ru) (šutítʹ)
• Spanish: bromear (es)
• Swedish: skämta (sv), skoja (sv), driva (sv), gyckla (sv)

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 Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} blaguer (fr)

• German: ^{(please verify)} Spaß machen

See also

• jest on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Etymology 2

Eye dialect spelling of just. This spelling is used for both AAVE and Southern US English.

Adverb

jest (not comparable)

1. (African American Vernacular, Southern US) Alternative spelling of just

Anagrams

• ESTJ, 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.