badinage

American  

[bad-n-ahzh, bad-n-ij] / ˌbæd nˈɑʒ, ˈbæd n ɪdʒ /

noun

1. light, playful banter or raillery.

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verb (used with object)

badinaged, badinaging

1. to banter with or tease (someone) playfully.

badinage British  

/ ˈbædɪˌnɑːʒ /

noun

1. playful or frivolous repartee or banter

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Etymology

Origin of badinage

First recorded in 1650–60; from French, equivalent to badin(er) “to joke, trifle” (verbal derivative of badin “joker, banterer,” from Old Provençal bad(ar) “to gape” or directly from Vulgar Latin batāre; cf. bay ²) + -in, from Latin -īnus -ine ¹ ) + -age -age

Explanation

Stiff corporate types don't tend to be too fond of badinage, or playful conversation, during important meetings, but sometimes a witty joke about the manager's ugly tie is just the right thing to lighten the mood. Badinage comes from the French word badiner, which means "to joke." In literature, there is no better place to find examples of badinage and witty wordplay than in Shakespeare's comedic plays. You can also find great examples in sitcom television, stand-up comedy, and the everyday frivolous banter among siblings and friends.

Example Sentences

Rather, it was the thrust-and-parry of the pair, their gently barbed, whipsmart badinage, that made Nichols and May so revolutionary, their routines about sexual politics and social mores riding a knife’s edge.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2024

His badinage is hardly Wildean, but his put-downs, honed to the sharpness of stilettos, are many people’s idea of fun.

From Salon • May 8, 2024

But also present are Heyer’s wry humor and deftness in witty badinage.

From Washington Post • Sep. 10, 2022

The good-natured and amusing badinage between Sainz and Norris was a key feature of their partnership.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2021

So disordered were my nerves from their romping badinage that I did not mark this question was addressed to me.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson