English edit

Etymology edit

From jesting +‎ -ly.

Adverb edit

jestingly (comparative more jestingly, superlative most jestingly)

  1. In jest; jokingly.
    • 1653, François Rabelais, Thomas Urquhart and Peter Anthony Motteux, transl., chapter 14, in The Works of Francis Rabelais, Doctor in Physick: Containing Five Books of the Lives, Heroick Deeds, and Sayings of Gargantua, and His Sonne Pantagruel. [], London: [] [Thomas Ratcliffe and Edward Mottershead] for Richard Baddeley, [], →OCLC; republished in volume I, London: [] Navarre Society [], [1948], →OCLC, book the third:
      [S]he flattered me, tickled me, stroaked me, groped me, frizled me, curled me, kissed me, embraced me, laid her Hands about my Neck, and now and then made jestingly, pretty little Horns above my Forehead: []
    • 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter 10, in Pride and Prejudice: [], volume II, London: [] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, [], →OCLC:
      This was spoken jestingly, but it appeared to her so just a picture of Mr. Darcy, that she would not trust herself with an answer; and, therefore, abruptly changing the conversation, talked on indifferent matters till they reached the parsonage.
    • 1827, Charles Lamb, “The Wife’s Trial; Or, The Intruding Widow”, in The Poetical Works of Charles Lamb[1], 3rd edition, London: Edward Moxon, published 1838, page 264:
      Were you free to chuse,
      As jestingly I’ll put the supposition,
      Without a thought reflecting on your Katherine,
      What sort of woman would you make your choice?
    • 1918, E. Craigie Melville, “In Camp” in Poems from the Trenches, Somerville, Mass.: The Thistle Press, p. 18,[2]
      Still I shall hate to leave you for the sake of those splendid nights
      When the long, hard day is over and Sergeant has douzed the lights,
      And we lie on those beds of straw that unfortunate Tommies get,
      And jestingly jolly each other as we smoke a last cig’rette;
    • 1961, V. S. Naipaul, A House for Mr Biswas, Vintage International, published 2001, Part Two, Chapter 6:
      They heard her talking normally, even jestingly, with one of the aunts, and they admired her for her courage.