jester

noun

jest·​er ˈje-stər How to pronounce jester (audio)
Synonyms of jesternext
1
: fool sense 2a
2
: one given to jests

Synonyms of jester

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of jester in a Sentence

a gentle jester, the cartoonist more often tries to evoke a broad smile than a hearty guffaw the king called for some much-needed entertainment from his jester
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These Wall Street jesters are ascending at a moment when there’s immense interest in the machinations of finance firms and rainmakers. — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2026 Bloom, as the jester-like truth-teller, is a stand-out, pointedly delivering her lines with a modern-sounding ease rather than the amusing Mid-Atlantic upper crusty thespianism the posher characters utilize. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026 Iron gates wrought into patterns open into a small courtyard filled with metal ephemera, which leads to a door camouflaged by a mural of a bull and a jester. — Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026 Giving the Angry Wave mascot a jester hat was a nice touch, and the argyle stripe really ties the whole thing together. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for jester

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gestour "reciter of romances, minstrel, entertainer," from gesten "to recite romances" + -our -er entry 2 — more at jest entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of jester was in the 15th century

Rhymes for jester

See All Rhymes for jester

Browse Nearby Words

jestee
jester
jestingly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jester.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jester. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

jester

noun
jest·​er ˈjes-tər How to pronounce jester (audio)
1
: fool entry 1 sense 2
court jester
2
: a person given to jests

More from Merriam-Webster on jester

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about jester

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All