Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense teases, present participle teasing, past tense, past participle teased
1. verb
To tease someone means to laugh at them or make jokes about them in order to embarrass, annoy, or upset them.
He told her how the boys in East Poldown had set on him, teasing him. [VERB noun]
He teased me mercilessly about going Hollywood. [VERB noun + about]
'You must be expecting a young man,' she teased. [VERB with quote]
Synonyms: mock, bait, wind up [British, slang], worry More Synonyms of tease
Tease is also a noun.
Calling her by her real name had always been one of his teases.
teasinguncountable noun [oft theNOUN]
She tolerated the teasing, until the fourth grade.
2. countable noun [usually singular]
If you refer to someone as a tease, you mean that they like laughing at people or making jokes about them.
My brother's such a tease.
The best way to deal with a tease is to ignore him.
3. verb
If you say that someone is teasing, you mean that they are pretending to offer you something that you want, especially sex, but then not giving it to you.
I thought she was teasing, playing the innocent, but looking back, I'm not so sure. [VERB]
When did you last flirt with him or tease him? [VERB noun]
Synonyms: tantalize, lead on, flirt with, titillate More Synonyms of tease
4. countable noun [usually singular]
If you refer to someone as a tease, you mean that they pretend to offer someone what they want, especially sex, butthen do not give it to them.
[disapproval]
The other girls told me he was a tease so I kept my distance at first.
5. See also striptease, teasing
Phrasal verbs:
See tease out
tease in British English
(tiːz)
verb
1.
to annoy (someone) by deliberately offering something with the intention of delaying or withdrawing the offer
2.
to arouse sexual desire in (someone) with no intention of satisfying it
3.
to vex (someone) maliciously or playfully, esp by ridicule
4. (transitive)
to separate the fibres of; comb; card
5. (transitive)
to raise the nap of (a fabric) with a teasel
6. Also: backcomb US and Canadian
to comb the under layers of (the hair) towards the roots to give more bulk to a hairstyle
7. (transitive)
to loosen or pull apart (biological tissues, etc) by delicate agitation or prodding with an instrument
8. (transitive) informal
to release a limited amount of information about (a forthcoming new product)
the band have teased a new song online
noun
9.
a person or thing that teases
10.
the act of teasing
Derived forms
teasing (ˈteasing)
adjective
teasingly (ˈteasingly)
adverb
Word origin
Old English tǣsan; related to Old High German zeisan to pick
tease in American English
(tiz)
verb transitiveWord forms: teased or ˈteasing
1.
a.
to separate the fibers of; card or comb (flax, wool, etc.)
b.
to fluff (the hair) by brushing or combing in strokes from the hair ends toward the scalp
c.
to gently shred or pull apart (tissues, etc.) for microscopic examination, cellular research, etc.
d. US
to reveal, extract, obtain, etc. by painstaking effort
often with out
it took hours to tease out the meaning of the story
2.
to raise a nap on (cloth) by brushing with teasels; teasel
3.
to annoy or harass by persistent mocking or poking fun, playful fooling, etc.
4.
to urge persistently; importune
5.
a.
to tantalize
b.
to excite sexually without intending to satisfy the desire aroused
verb intransitive
6.
to indulge in teasing
noun
7.
a teasing or being teased
8.
a person who teases
SIMILAR WORDS: anˈnoy
Derived forms
teasingly (ˈteasingly)
adverb
Word origin
ME tesen < OE tæsan, to pull about, pluck, tease, akin to Du teezen < IE *di-s < base *dā(i)-, to cut apart, divide > tide1
Examples of 'tease' in a sentence
tease
She teases apart privilege from power more finely than a philosophy textbook.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The make-up was plastered on and her hair teased and combed to make her look years older.
The Sun (2017)
Once cool, release and tease hair with your fingers.
The Sun (2016)
It's very important to tease those two apart.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We both get teased about our hair.
The Sun (2011)
What have you got left to tease us about now?
The Sun (2013)
Will he get teased at nursery school?
Irwin, Ann Stammering in Young Children (1988)
We were told he just loves to tease tourists.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He teased her about always wearing bright red lipstick in the desert.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
My older brother and my twin brother tease me as well.
The Sun (2006)
There was lots of laughing and teasing and they were taking endless selfies.
The Sun (2014)
The tall ones spend half their time teasing the short one for being short.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
All this needs to be teased apart and managed sensitively.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They had been teasing him mercilessly about his unkempt ginger barnet.
The Sun (2009)
Car companies are always teasing us with these hybrids.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
And those who laugh off teasing risk making it worse.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
That proved to be wrong and she still teases me about it!
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
And colleagues also teased him for still using a superheroes duvet cover he had owned since he was eight.
The Sun (2015)
After a while, we began to flirt and tease but we were always very discreet.
The Sun (2007)
Many red-haired people have been cruelly teased about their hair.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He is also a tease.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
FOR years, he has delighted in teasing his older brother about his hair loss.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
tease
British English: tease /tiːz/ VERB
To tease someone means to laugh at them or make jokes about them in order to embarrass, annoy, or upset them.
`You must be expecting a young man,' she teased.
American English: tease
Arabic: يَسْخَرُ
Brazilian Portuguese: importunar
Chinese: 戏弄
Croatian: zadirkivati
Czech: škádlit
Danish: drille
Dutch: plagen
European Spanish: tomar el pelo
Finnish: kiusata härnätä
French: taquiner
German: necken
Greek: περιπαίζω
Italian: prendere in giro
Japanese: からかう
Korean: (사람, 짐승을) (...의 일로)놀리다
Norwegian: erte
Polish: dokuczyć
European Portuguese: provocar
Romanian: a necăji
Russian: дразнить
Latin American Spanish: tomar el pelo
Swedish: reta
Thai: หยอกล้อ
Turkish: kızdırmak
Ukrainian: дражнити
Vietnamese: trêu chọc
Chinese translation of 'tease'
tease
(tiːz)
vt
逗弄 (dòunong)
n(c)
(= person) 爱(愛)开(開)玩笑的人 (ài kāi wánxiào de rén)
1 (verb)
Definition
to make fun of (someone) in a provocative and often playful manner
He teased me mercilessly about going there.
Synonyms
mock
I thought you were mocking me.
bait
He delighted in baiting his friends.
wind up (British, slang)
worry
‘Why didn't you tell us?’ – ‘Didn't want to worry you.’
bother
That kind of jealousy doesn't bother me.
provoke
I didn't want to do anything to provoke him.
annoy
Try making a note of the things that annoy you.
needle (informal)
She could see that she had needled him with her constant questions.
plague (informal)
I'm not going to plague you with a lot of questions.
rag
She was ten years older than the youngsters ragging her.
rib (informal)
torment
My older brother used to torment me by singing it to me.
ridicule
I admire her for allowing them to ridicule her.
taunt
Other youths taunted him about his clothes.
aggravate (informal)
What aggravates you most about this country?
badger
She badgered her doctor time and again, pleading with him.
pester
He's always hanging round and pestering me.
vex
Everything about that man vexes me.
goad
bedevil
His career was bedevilled by injury.
take the mickey out of (informal)
twit
take the piss out of (taboo, slang)
chaff
guy (informal)
gibe
pull someone's leg (informal)
Of course I won't tell them; I was only pulling your leg.
make fun of
2 (verb)
Definition
to arouse sexual desire in (someone) with no intention of satisfying it
When did you last flirt with him or tease him?
Synonyms
tantalize
He would tantalize the dog with food.
lead on
flirt with
titillate
food to titillate the most jaded of palates
Additional synonyms
in the sense of aggravate
Definition
to annoy
What aggravates you most about this country?
Synonyms
annoy,
bother,
provoke,
needle (informal),
irritate,
tease,
hassle (informal),
gall,
exasperate,
nettle,
pester,
vex,
irk,
get under your skin (informal),
get on your nerves (informal),
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
get up your nose (informal),
be on your back (slang),
piss you off (taboo, slang),
rub (someone) up the wrong way (informal),
get in your hair (informal),
get on your wick (British, slang),
hack you off (informal)
in the sense of annoy
Definition
to irritate or displease
Try making a note of the things that annoy you.
Synonyms
irritate,
trouble,
bore,
anger,
harry,
bother,
disturb,
provoke,
get (informal),
bug (informal),
needle (informal),
plague,
tease,
harass,
hassle (informal),
aggravate (informal),
badger,
gall,
madden,
ruffle,
exasperate,
nettle,
molest,
pester,
vex,
displease,
irk,
bedevil,
rile,
peeve,
get under your skin (informal),
get on your nerves (informal),
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
get up your nose (informal),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
make your blood boil,
piss you off (taboo, slang),
rub someone up the wrong way (informal),
get your goat (slang),
get in your hair (informal),
get on your wick (British, slang),
get your dander up (informal),
get your back up,
incommode (formal),
put your back up,
hack you off (informal),
be on your back (slang)
in the sense of badger
Definition
to pester or harass
She badgered her doctor time and again, pleading with him.
Synonyms
pester,
worry,
harry,
bother,
bug (informal),
bully,
plague,
hound,
get at,
harass,
nag,
hassle (informal),
chivvy,
importune (formal),
bend someone's ear (informal),
be on someone's back (slang)
Synonyms of 'tease'
tease
Explore 'tease' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bait
Definition
to persecute or tease
He delighted in baiting his friends.
Synonyms
tease,
provoke,
annoy,
irritate,
guy (informal),
bother,
needle (informal),
plague (informal),
mock,
rag,
rib (informal),
wind up (British, slang),
hound,
torment,
harass,
ridicule,
taunt,
hassle (informal),
aggravate (informal),
badger,
gall,
persecute,
pester,
goad,
irk,
bedevil,
take the mickey out of (informal),
take the piss out of (taboo, slang),
chaff,
gibe,
get on the nerves of (informal),
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
be on the back of (slang),
piss you off (taboo, slang),
get in the hair of (informal),
get or take a rise out of,
hack you off (informal)
in the sense of bedevil
Definition
to harass or torment
His career was bedevilled by injury.
Synonyms
plague,
worry,
trouble,
frustrate,
torture,
irritate,
torment,
harass,
hassle (informal),
aggravate (informal),
afflict,
pester,
vex,
irk,
give someone grief (British, South Africa)
in the sense of bother
Definition
to trouble (a person) by repeatedly disturbing
That kind of jealousy doesn't bother me.
Synonyms
trouble,
concern,
worry,
upset,
alarm,
disturb,
distress,
annoy,
dismay,
gall,
disconcert,
vex,
perturb,
faze,
put or get someone's back up
in the sense of chaff
Definition
to tease good-naturedly
Synonyms
tease,
mock,
rib (informal),
ridicule,
taunt,
jeer,
josh (slang, US, Canadian),
scoff,
banter,
deride,
take the piss out of (taboo, slang)
in the sense of needle
Definition
to goad or provoke
She could see that she had needled him with her constant questions.
Synonyms
irritate,
anger,
provoke,
annoy,
sting,
bait,
harass,
taunt,
infuriate,
nag,
hassle (informal),
aggravate,
prod,
gall (old-fashioned),
ruffle,
spur,
prick,
exasperate,
nettle,
vex,
goad,
irk,
rile,
get under your skin (informal),
get on your nerves (informal),
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
hack you off (informal),
piss you off (taboo, slang),
get in your hair (informal),
get your back up (informal),
run up the wrong way,
pester,
pique (old-fashioned),
be on your back (slang)
in the sense of pester
Definition
to annoy or nag continually
He's always hanging round and pestering me.
Synonyms
annoy,
worry,
bother,
disturb,
bug (informal),
plague,
torment,
get at,
harass,
nag,
hassle (informal),
harry,
aggravate (informal),
fret,
badger,
pick on,
irk,
bedevil,
chivvy (British),
get on your nerves (informal),
bend someone's ear (informal),
drive you up the wall (slang),
be on your back (slang),
get in your hair (informal)
in the sense of plague
Definition
to annoy or pester
I'm not going to plague you with a lot of questions.
Synonyms
pester,
trouble,
bother,
disturb,
annoy,
tease,
harry,
harass,
hassle,
fret,
badger,
persecute,
molest,
vex,
bedevil,
get on your nerves (informal),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
be on your back (slang),
get in your hair (informal)
in the sense of provoke
Definition
to deliberately act in a way intended to anger someone
I didn't want to do anything to provoke him.
Synonyms
anger,
insult,
annoy,
offend,
irritate,
infuriate,
hassle (informal),
aggravate (informal),
incense,
enrage,
gall,
put someone out,
madden,
exasperate,
vex,
affront,
chafe,
irk,
rile,
pique,
get on someone's nerves (informal),
get someone's back up,
piss someone off (taboo, slang),
put someone's back up,
try someone's patience,
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
make someone's blood boil,
get in someone's hair (informal),
rub someone up the wrong way,
hack someone off (informal)
in the sense of pull someone's leg
Of course I won't tell them; I was only pulling your leg.
Synonyms
tease,
joke,
trick,
fool,
kid (informal),
have (someone) on,
rag,
rib (informal),
wind up (British, slang),
deceive,
hoax,
make fun of,
poke fun at,
twit,
chaff,
lead up the garden path,
jerk or yank someone's chain (informal)
in the sense of rag
Definition
to tease
She was ten years older than the youngsters ragging her.
Synonyms
tease,
provoke,
needle (informal),
mock,
bait,
rib (informal),
wind up (British, slang),
torment,
ridicule,
taunt,
goad,
take the mickey (out of) (informal),
take the piss (out of) (taboo, slang),
gibe,
pull someone's leg (informal),
jerk or yank someone's chain (informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of ridicule
Definition
to make fun of or mock
I admire her for allowing them to ridicule her.
Synonyms
laugh at,
mock,
make fun of,
make a fool of,
humiliate,
taunt,
sneer at,
parody,
caricature,
jeer at,
scoff at,
deride,
send up (British, informal),
lampoon,
poke fun at,
take the piss (out of) (taboo, slang),
chaff,
take the mickey out of (informal),
satirize,
pooh-pooh,
laugh out of court,
make a monkey out of,
make someone a laughing stock,
laugh to scorn
in the sense of taunt
Definition
to tease or provoke (someone) with jeering remarks
Other youths taunted him about his clothes.
Synonyms
jeer,
mock,
tease,
ridicule,
provoke,
insult,
torment,
sneer,
deride,
revile,
twit,
take the piss (out of) (taboo, slang),
guy (informal),
gibe
in the sense of titillate
Definition
to arouse or excite pleasurably, esp. in a sexual way
food to titillate the most jaded of palates
Synonyms
excite,
arouse,
interest,
thrill,
provoke,
turn on (slang),
tease,
tickle,
tantalize
in the sense of torment
Definition
to tease or pester (a person or animal) in an annoying or cruel way
My older brother used to torment me by singing it to me.
Synonyms
tease,
annoy,
worry,
trouble,
bother,
provoke,
devil (informal),
harry,
plague,
irritate,
hound,
harass,
hassle (informal),
aggravate (informal),
persecute,
pester,
vex,
bedevil,
chivvy (British),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
lead someone a merry dance (British, informal)
in the sense of vex
Definition
to cause (someone) to feel annoyance or irritation
Everything about that man vexes me.
Synonyms
annoy,
bother,
irritate,
worry,
trouble,
upset,
disturb,
distress,
provoke,
bug (informal),
offend,
needle (informal),
plague,
put out,
tease,
torment,
harass,
hassle (informal),
aggravate (informal),
afflict,
fret,
gall,
agitate,
exasperate,
nettle,
pester,
displease,
rile,
pique,
peeve (informal),
grate on,
get on your nerves (informal),
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
get your back up,
put your back up,
hack you off (informal)
in the sense of worry
Definition
to annoy or bother
‘Why didn't you tell us?’ – ‘Didn't want to worry you.’