Jestingly

adv.joyful, kindliterary

What it means

In a playful way intended as humor rather than a serious claim.

Reach for it when marking the delivery of a light remark whose literal words should not be trusted

He jestingly offered to accept payment in homemade biscuits.

everyday
jokingly
plain modern wording is preferable
not when Jokingly has less literary flavor and may not suit a historical narration.
everyday
teasingly
the remark affectionately provokes another person
not when Teasingly centers the target and may suggest irritation or flirtation.
warm
playfully
gentle affection matters more than verbal wit
not when Playfully can describe actions that contain no joke.
formal
facetiously
the remark deliberately refuses a serious frame
not when Facetiously can imply that the humor was inappropriate.
literary
wryly
dry humor carries a trace of irony or resignation
not when Wryly adds a knowing edge that cheerful jesting may lack.

said jestingly
The curator said jestingly that the stubborn lock had a personality.
asked jestingly
Mara asked jestingly whether the dog deserved its own office.
remarked jestingly
He remarked jestingly that the rain had joined the planning committee.

Jestingly is uncommon; jokingly is clearer in contemporary everyday prose.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.