Spoken or done with humorous intent rather than literal seriousness.
Reach for it when signaling that words are playful while their surface meaning may mislead
His jesting complaint about the enormous slice made the baker laugh.
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| formal | |
| literary |
playful
tongue-in-cheek
Fits when dry irony is meant to be recognized
Careful Tongue-in-cheek suggests concealed irony rather than open merry joking.
everyday
bantering
Fits when friendly back-and-forth teasing is shared
Careful Bantering needs an exchange; one isolated comic remark cannot be called banter.
everyday
Fits when the most familiar label for humorous intent fits
Careful Joking can cover teasing or performance, while jesting sounds more literary.
warm
Fits when affectionate lightness matters more than the actual joke
Careful Playful does not explicitly tell the reader that a statement is nonliteral.
formal
facetious
Fits when someone treats a serious subject with deliberate levity
Careful Facetious often carries disapproval and may make kind humor sound careless.
literary
Fits when clever mischief suits an old-fashioned voice
Careful Waggish is obscure and sounds affected in ordinary conversation.
jesting tone
Her jesting tone made clear that the challenge was affectionate.
jesting remark
A jesting remark broke the silence without mocking the mistake.
jesting exchange
Their jesting exchange showed how comfortable the new partners had become.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated
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