What does "gest" mean?
A story or adventure; a verse or prose romance.
Gest
/d͡ʒɛst/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A story or adventure; a verse or prose romance.
- Grammar: gest is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: accomplished fact, accomplishment, achievement, act.
- Usage evidence: The tales of Robin Hood, or the gests written by Ariost the Italian in his booke intituled Orlando furioso.
How to use "gest"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gest" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "gest" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "gest" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "gest" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "gest" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accomplished fact" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "gest", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A story or adventure; a verse or prose romance. archaic, countable, uncountable
"The tales of Robin Hood, or the gests written by Ariost the Italian in his booke intituled Orlando furioso."
- 2 Alternative form of gist (“a stop for lodging or rest in a journey, or the place where this happens; a rest”). alt-of, alternative, obsolete
"[…]Yet of your Royall presence, Ile aduenture / The borrow of a Weeke. When at Bohemia / You take my Lord, Ile giue him my Commission, / To let him there a Moneth, behind the Gest / Prefix'd for's parting: yet (good-deed) Leontes, / I loue thee not a Iarre o'th' Clock, behind / What Lady she her Lord. You'le stay?"
- 3 An action represented in sports, plays, or on the stage; show; ceremony. archaic, countable, uncountable
"a. 1639, Joseph Mede, a sermon And surely no Ceremonies of dedication , no not of Solomons Temple it self , are comparable to those sacred gests , whereby this place was sanctified"
- 4 Bearing; deportment. archaic, countable, uncountable
"through his heroic grace and honorable gest"
- 5 A gesture or action. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"They did obeysaunce, as beseemed right, / And then againe returned to their restes: / The Porter eke to her did lout with humble gestes."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The tales of Robin Hood, or the gests written by Ariost the Italian in his booke intituled Orlando furioso."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gest"?
Common synonyms include: accomplished fact, accomplishment, achievement, act, acta, action.
How do you use "gest" in a sentence?
The tales of Robin Hood, or the gests written by Ariost the Italian in his booke intituled Orlando furioso.
How do you pronounce "gest"?
Pronounced /d͡ʒɛst/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Middle French geste. Doublet of jest.
Etymology 2
A variant of gist (“resting-place”).
Etymology 3
From the German surname, related to geest (“sandy area”).