jesters

noun

plural of jester
1
as in comedians
a person (as a writer) noted for or specializing in humor a gentle jester, the cartoonist more often tries to evoke a broad smile than a hearty guffaw

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2
as in clowns
a person formerly kept in a royal or noble household to amuse with jests and pranks the king called for some much-needed entertainment from his jester

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of jesters In that light, a collection consisting of nothing but down-home music could be seen as the ultimate joke from a pair of indie-punk jesters. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 1 Aug. 2026 On freedom of opinion, on freedom of the press, on freedom of satire, on jesters’ freedom. — ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026 Handing the kingdom of SoFi over to the court jesters for a night is a feat worthy of celebration. — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026 Since medieval times, the colorful fool—from court jesters to Shakespeare’s characters—has used playful wit to critique authority and buffoonery to whip up excitement. — Time, 30 Oct. 2025 Medieval Europe, an era that gave us heraldry, court jesters, and troubadours, is rendered in dull, grayish brown hues. — Will Collins, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025 In uncertain times, humour is a powerful tool, and artists are the best jesters, critics, and storytellers around. — Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 Even if jesters are no more, our need to dissent and criticize has not passed. — Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jesters
  1. comedians
  2. clowns
  3. fools
  4. jokers
Noun
  • But while many comedians go on to have wildly lucrative careers, that doesn’t seem to be Earthquake’s priority — making people laugh is.
    — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 1 Oct. 2026
  • For local comedians, the growing recognition could help establish Kansas City as a place to develop a career rather than simply a stop between larger comedy markets.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of comedians
Noun
  • The gasoline shortage has become such a feature of daily life that even clowns at Moscow’s circus have cracked jokes about it.
    — Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Because some of them are showing up to the game looking like clowns.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of clowns
Noun
  • The Trasks encounter a wide swath of citizens, haggling with sneaky cheats, exploiting innocent fools, and befriending big-hearted neighbors.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In a room full of fascists and fools, Ahmed’s projection of competence—and of the spluttering exasperation that is the lot of the competent—proves a genuine balm.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of fools
Noun
  • The smart kids, the shy ones, the jokers and the loners — every one of them is caught in the pyroclastic flow of adolescence, every minute a negotiation between fitting in and standing out.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The jokers Toth and Jackson, bless them, keep things endearing and funny.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of jokers

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jesters
jesting
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Cite this Entry

“Jesters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jesters. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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