jest

Word family

jest1 /dʒest/ noun [countableC] formal

JOKING/NOT SERIOUSsomething you say that is intended to be funny, not serious 玩笑；笑话 SYN joke

I wasn’t sure whether to treat her words as a jest.

我吃不准是否该把她的话当成玩笑。

in jest

His serious face told me that he was not speaking in jest.

他严肃的表情告诉我，他不是在说着玩的。

Examples from the Corpus

jest• There had been anger as well at the cruel jest of fate that had brought her into love with her own brother.• They exchanged words, not all of which appeared to be in jest.• It was made more in jest than seriousness but it does convey the nature of the Nicholson's operation.• What he said in 1 714, perhaps in jest, later gained acceptance as the perfect moniker for the marine timekeeper.• In jest or earnest, such a man would not wish to leave this human and more than human mystery unresolved.• His companion chuckled at the jest, but Gravelet, whose stage name was Blondin, was deadly serious.• King: I like your jest, but no.• Your jest is in poor taste.

jest2 verb [intransitiveI] formal or old use

FUNNYto say things that you do not really mean in order to amuse people 说笑话；开玩笑

‘Do I look as if I am jesting?’ she asked, her face pale and tense.

“难道我看上去像是在开玩笑？”她问道，脸色苍白，神情紧张。

—jestingly adverbadv

Examples from the Corpus

jest• A cloud rested on my mind, which was occasioned by talking and jesting.• But of course you are jesting.• Sometimes this is within a light-hearted context, a move from jesting about love to declaring a more serious passion.

Origin jest1

(1200-1300) Old French geste “action”, from Latin gesta (plural), from gerere “to behave, perform”

jest1 nounjest2 verb

Chinese

Corpus