n. 25B6; noun jests were bandied about freely : JOKE, witticism, funny remark, gag, quip, sally, pun; informal crack, wisecrack, one-liner.
25B6; verb
surely you are jesting : JOKE, quip, gag, pun; tell jokes, crack jokes; informal wisecrack.
she feared that they had not been jesting : FOOL (ABOUT/AROUND), play a practical joke, tease; informal kid, have someone on, pull someone's leg; N. Amer. informal pull someone's chain, fun; Brit. informal wind someone up.
25A0; in jest IN FUN, as a joke, tongue in cheek, playfully, jokingly, light-heartedly, facetiously, flippantly, frivolously, for a laugh.