tease
1 of 2verb
ˈtēz 
teased; teasing
transitive verb
1
a
: to make fun of : kid
b
: to disturb or annoy by persistent irritating or provoking especially in a petty or mischievous way
c
: to annoy with petty persistent requests : pester
also : to obtain by repeated coaxing
d
: to persuade to acquiesce especially by persistent small efforts : coax
e
: to manipulate or influence as if by teasing
2
: to comb (hair) by taking hold of a strand and pushing the short hairs toward the scalp with the comb
3
: to tantalize especially by arousing desire or curiosity often without intending to satisfy it
4
a
: to disentangle and lay parallel by combing or carding
tease wool
b
: teasel
5
: to tear in pieces
especially : to shred (a tissue or specimen) for microscopic examination
teasingly
ˈtē-ziŋ-lē
adverb tease
2 of 2noun
1
: the act of teasing : the state of being teased
2
: one that teases
Synonyms
Verb
- chaff
- jive
- joke
- josh
- kid
- rally
- razz
- rib
- ride
- roast
Noun
- baiter
- harasser
- heckler
- mocker
- needler
- persecutor
- quiz
- quizzer
- ridiculer
- taunter
- teaser
- tormentor
- tormenter
- torturer
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb He and his wife enjoy teasing each other about their different tastes in music. The other children teased her because she was wearing braces. He was always teased by his brother about being short. Oh, don't get so angry. I was just teasing! The boy's mother told him to stop teasing the dog. Noun a pretty girl who has the reputation of being a bit of a tease The lower rate is just a tease to attract new customers. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Jessica Wang, EW.com, 13 Sep. 2022 Moreover, Randolph learned from her sources that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania might tease the Fantastic Four in some way at the end of the film. Chris Smith, BGR, 28 Aug. 2022 Watch Bailey introduce her YouTube channel and tease her upcoming solo music below. Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 18 July 2022 Will Apple tease its new XR Headset at its Worldwide Developer Conference tomorrow? Charlie Fink, Forbes, 5 June 2022 Morris and his team have been circulating provocative slides that tease a coming counter-narrative to political attacks against the president's son. Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 18 May 2022 While no official specs have been released, Zuckerberg did tease a couple new features of the headset. WIRED, 29 Aug. 2022 Demi Lovato called into the SiriusXM studios on Monday (July 18) to tease their forthcoming album Holy Fvck. Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 18 July 2022 Liu went on to tease the movie's plot, referencing internet chatter that has thrust wild theories about the story — which Gerwig worked on with her longtime partner, Noah Baumbach — into the ether. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 31 May 2022 John Defore, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2022 These product events have started to feel very slick yet samey over the years, so Apple might be inspired to inject a little excitement into this one and tease something brand new. WIRED, 8 Sep. 2022 After a tease a couple of months ago, Krispy Kreme’s Original Glazed Soft Serve ice cream has finally hit the Gulf Coast. al, 23 Aug. 2022 It’s a tease that delivers all the more once viewers realize what’s happening. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 15 Aug. 2022 Moments after a potential tease for Bray Wyatt, Adam Pearce really built up an eighth participant, only for the reveal to be Theory. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 3 July 2022 For the prequel, Gabaldon will serve as a consulting producer, an unsurprising move given the author’s previous tease of a prequel novel starring Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser. Lauren Puckett-pope, ELLE, 4 Aug. 2022 One more tease: The High Evolutionary (to be played in the film by Chukwudi Iwuji), appears — in all his purple glory — to walk from the back of Hall H to the front and insults us humans and threatens to dissect us all. Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2022 Finally, what is your cryptic tease for the second-to-last episode? Dan Snierson, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2022 See More
Verb
Below, the cast and crew tease the new season and possible return of other beloved characters. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 13 Sep. 2022 Moreover, Randolph learned from her sources that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania might tease the Fantastic Four in some way at the end of the film. Chris Smith, BGR, 28 Aug. 2022 Watch Bailey introduce her YouTube channel and tease her upcoming solo music below. Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 18 July 2022 Will Apple tease its new XR Headset at its Worldwide Developer Conference tomorrow? Charlie Fink, Forbes, 5 June 2022 Morris and his team have been circulating provocative slides that tease a coming counter-narrative to political attacks against the president's son. Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 18 May 2022 While no official specs have been released, Zuckerberg did tease a couple new features of the headset. WIRED, 29 Aug. 2022 Demi Lovato called into the SiriusXM studios on Monday (July 18) to tease their forthcoming album Holy Fvck. Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 18 July 2022 Liu went on to tease the movie's plot, referencing internet chatter that has thrust wild theories about the story — which Gerwig worked on with her longtime partner, Noah Baumbach — into the ether. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 31 May 2022 Noun
Films set in hotel rooms seem to require reversals, and this one offers plenty as the two argue, cajole, threaten and tease. John Defore, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2022 These product events have started to feel very slick yet samey over the years, so Apple might be inspired to inject a little excitement into this one and tease something brand new. WIRED, 8 Sep. 2022 After a tease a couple of months ago, Krispy Kreme’s Original Glazed Soft Serve ice cream has finally hit the Gulf Coast. al, 23 Aug. 2022 It’s a tease that delivers all the more once viewers realize what’s happening. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 15 Aug. 2022 Moments after a potential tease for Bray Wyatt, Adam Pearce really built up an eighth participant, only for the reveal to be Theory. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 3 July 2022 For the prequel, Gabaldon will serve as a consulting producer, an unsurprising move given the author’s previous tease of a prequel novel starring Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser. Lauren Puckett-pope, ELLE, 4 Aug. 2022 One more tease: The High Evolutionary (to be played in the film by Chukwudi Iwuji), appears — in all his purple glory — to walk from the back of Hall H to the front and insults us humans and threatens to dissect us all. Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2022 Finally, what is your cryptic tease for the second-to-last episode? Dan Snierson, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English tesen, from Old English tǣsan; akin to Old High German zeisan to tease
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a
Noun
1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing tease
Kids Definition
tease 1 of 2
verb
ˈtēz
teased; teasing
1
: to make fun of
… some kids tease me about my name. Paula Danziger, Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon
Paula Danziger, Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon2
: to annoy again and again
Stop teasing the dog.
tease
2 of 2noun
1
: the act of making fun of or repeatedly bothering a person or animal
2
: a person who makes fun of people usually in a friendly way
Medical Definition
tease
transitive verb
ˈtēz
teased; teasing
: to tear in pieces
especially : to shred (a tissue or specimen) for microscopic examination
tease 1 of 2
noun
1
as in teaser
a person who causes repeated emotional pain, distress, or annoyance to another she can be a very cruel tease when she happens upon an unpopular girl who is easily hurt Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- teaser
- harasser
- tormenter
- tormentor
- torturer
- taunter
- attacker
- quiz
- mocker
- quizzer
- heckler
- needler
- ridiculer
- victimizer
- baiter
- accuser
- insulter
- persecutor
- assailant
- derider
- giber
- pest
- detractor
- kidder
- scoffer
- wise guy
- scorner
- smart aleck
- jeerer
- jiber
- smarty
- belittler
- wiseacre
- lampooner
- troublemaker
- smart alec
- bother
- satirist
- smarty-pants
- smartie
- disturber
- blamer
- trash-talker
- molester
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- guard
- protector
- defender
- savior
- solace
- saviour
- deliverer
- rescuer
- comforter
- champion
- bodyguard
- soother
- succorer
2
as in nuisance
one who is obnoxiously annoying my youngest brother is a complete tease, following me around everywhere and aping my every move Synonyms & Similar Words
- nuisance
- annoyer
- annoyance
- teaser
- pest
- bother
- gadfly
- pain
- pain in the neck
- nudnick
- headache
- gnawer
- nudnik
- persecutor
- plague
- tormentor
- interrupter
- harrier
- tormenter
- heckler
- torturer
- harasser
- interruptor
- molester
- hassle
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- charmer
- smoothie
- comforter
- soother
- solacer
- smoothy
tease
2 of 2verb
1
as in to joke
to make fun of in a good-natured way likes to tease her twin brother about his seemingly endless string of girlfriends Synonyms & Similar Words
- joke
- kid
- razz
- roast
- rib
- ride
- fun
- banter
- rally
- jive
- josh
- fool
- goof on
- take the mickey out of
- chaff
- quip
- gag
- jest
- wisecrack
- jolly
- jape
- yuck
- string along
- yuk
2
as in to taunt
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults grew up being teased because his parents were hog farmers Synonyms & Similar Words
- taunt
- mock
- annoy
- bother
- bait
- ride
- ridicule
- torture
- heckle
- pick on
- irritate
- try
- needle
- haze
- trouble
- test
- hassle
- plague
- pester
- torment
- jeer
- deride
- goad
- rile
- gibe
- bully
- disturb
- jibe
- harass
- spite
- nag
- vex
- irk
- aggravate
- ruffle
- exasperate
- itch
- badger
- make game of
- get
- bug
- gripe
- peeve
- pique
- frost
- grate
- dog
- perturb
- fret
- chafe
- gall
- put out
- agitate
- discomfort
- hound
- persecute
- bedevil
- terrorize
- nettle
- browbeat
- nark
- harry
- rasp
- burn (up)
- hector
- hagride
- gnaw (at)
- aggrieve
- hack (off)
- beleaguer
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of tease are annoy, harass, harry, pester, plague, and worry. While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.
children teased the dog
While in some cases nearly identical to tease, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.
you're doing that just to annoy me
In some situations, the words harass and tease are roughly equivalent. However, harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.
harassed on all sides by creditors
Although the words harry and tease have much in common, harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.
the strikers had been harried by thugs
The synonyms pester and tease are sometimes interchangeable, but pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.
constantly pestered with trivial complaints
The words plague and tease can be used in similar contexts, but plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.
plagued all her life by poverty
The words worry and tease are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.
pursued a policy of worrying the enemy