in jest
in jest — idiom
1. said or done purely to amuse people, without having any real or honest intention
said or done purely to amuse people, without having any real or honest intention behind it.
Hari told his landlord he was moving out, but he said it only in jest.
said something in jest — verb of speaking + in jest at end of clause
Tomás called his sister a bad cook, but it was only in jest.
was in jest — copular construction with in jest as subject complement
Élise's threat to quit the book club was made in jest during a debate.
Chidi pretended to throw his phone into the lake, but he did it in jest.
The comment about firing the delivery team was said in jest at the morning meeting.
- jokingly
more common in everyday speech; 'in jest' sounds slightly more formal or literary
- playfully
emphasises lighthearted fun rather than humour specifically
- teasingly
suggests the remark was aimed at a specific person, often to provoke a reaction
- facetiously
formal or ironic register; implies a flippant attitude about a serious topic
文法句型
say/tell/remark + [something] + in jest
be + in jest
用法筆記
Commonly paired with verbs of speaking such as 'say', 'remark', 'tell', or 'comment'. The phrase typically appears after the verb phrase or at the end of a clause. In British English, 'in jest' is slightly more frequent than in American English, though it is understood in both varieties.