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jestingly

jestingly

6.4
In a joking way that is not serious
  • adverb
  • /ˈdʒɛstɪŋli/
translation icon : en broma
  • He spoke emphatically, jestingly, seriously, informatively, for all she knew, well-meaningly.

Examples

  • The English painter Edward Norgate jestingly defined the drawing academy as "a room where, in the middle, a hired long-sided porter or such like is to be set, stand, or hang naked sometimes in a posture for two or three hours."

    Academic text (2015)
  • As we shall see, Theseus in fact considers the night's affairs to be what Oberon jestingly describes them as: "fruitless vision," an inconsequential collective hallucination.

    Academic text (1998)
  • He jestingly claimed that he would win a marathon without training.

  • She said, jestingly, that she could eat the entire cake by herself.

  • During the meeting, he jestingly suggested that they should all take a vacation instead of working.

Synonyms

jokingly
vsjestingly
27 2.0

Said or done as a joke and not meant seriously

is similarly playful but emphasizes light teasing rather than exact joke form
tongue-in-cheek
vsjestingly
  • Informal
15 7.4

Said jokingly and not meant to be taken seriously

is more openly playful and less deliberately ironic
just joking
vsjestingly
  • Informal
13 3.7

Said to show something is funny and not serious

is similar but often used as a spontaneous clarification rather than a style
comically
vsjestingly
11 3.9

In a funny way that makes people laugh

is similar but stresses playful nonseriousness rather than pure fun
in jest
vsjestingly
  • Informal
9 6.6

In a joking way not meant to be taken seriously

is the same playful intent but often more casual in tone
amusingly
vsjestingly
5 3.0

In a funny way that makes people laugh

focuses specifically on playful, nonserious attitude rather than general amusement
humorously
vsjestingly
5 3.3

In a funny way that makes people laugh

is more about playful intent than simply causing laughter
teasingly
vsjestingly
3 3.7

In a playful way that makes someone laugh or feel a little annoyed

is more general playful speech, not necessarily meant to provoke
facetiously
vsjestingly
3 8.1

In a joking way that is not meant to be taken seriously

is more straightforwardly playful without the biting sarcasm
goofily
vsjestingly
  • Informal
1 4.2

In a silly, awkward way that looks funny

is playful too but usually less clumsy and more intentional
kiddingly
vsjestingly
1 3.6

To say or do something in a joking way without being serious

is likewise playful but tends to be less childlike and more general
roguishly
vsjestingly
1 7.3

In a playful way that breaks small rules to make people laugh

is playful too but less mischievous and more simply joking
jocularly
vsjestingly
1 7.1

In a joking way to make people laugh

is similar but leans more toward playful provocation than simple humor
all in jest
vsjestingly
6.7

Said or done as a joke and not meant to be serious

is similar but may appear more spontaneous and less marked as joking
jocosely
vsjestingly
  • Formal
8.3

In a joking way to make people laugh

is equally playful but focuses more on teasing than broad humor
banteringly
vsjestingly
  • Informal
7.7

In a playful, teasing way that shows you are joking

is broader playful talk and not limited to teasing exchanges
unseriously
vsjestingly
6.2

Speaks or acts in a joking way

is specifically playful and intended as a light joke rather than mere unseriousness

Antonyms

1.6

In a way that shows you mean what you say

152 1.0

In a way that shows true feelings without pretending

How Joking

playfully
18 1.4
jokingly
27 2.0
jestingly
6.4
teasingly
3 3.7

Surface Forms

jestingly positive

Morphology

jestingly = jesting (transparent) = jest + ing + ly

The word 'jestingly' is transparently derived from 'jesting' with the addition of the adverbial suffix '-ly'.

Etymology

The word jestingly comes from the simple word jest, which means 'a joke', plus the ending -ly that makes it mean 'in a joking way'. It is related to jester, 'a person who makes jokes', so jestingly means doing something in a playful, not serious, way.