Jestingly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner characterized by playful banter or light-hearted mockery
2. With an approach that embraces humor, often through teasing or jesting discourse
3. Done in a manner that shows light-hearted teasing or joking without seriousness

Etymology: "Jestingly" is a straightforward formation: the adjective "jesting," meaning joking or making jokes, with the suffix "-ly" added to turn it into an adverb describing how something is done. The adjective itself comes from "jest," which means a joke or a light-hearted remark. The suffix has a longer history than the word it is attached to. It descends from a Proto-Germanic form, "*-līkaz," which carried the sense of having the appearance or character of something, and this developed into Old English "-līċe" and then Middle English "-ly." English has used this ending to build adverbs from adjectives for centuries, so "jestingly" follows the same pattern as countless other words in the language.

Synonyms: jokingly, playfully, humorously

Antonyms: seriously, solemnly