banter
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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banters,
present (3rd person singular)
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bantered,
past participle, past
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bantering
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
banters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bantered,
past participle, past
-
bantering
present participle
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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banterernoun
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outbanterverb (used with object)
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unbanteringadjective
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banteringlyadverb
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unbanteringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bantersimple
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banterssimple
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have banteredperfect
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has banteredperfect
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am banteringprogressive
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are banteringprogressive
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is banteringprogressive
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have been banteringperfect progressive
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has been banteringperfect progressive
Past
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banteredsimple
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had banteredperfect
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was banteringprogressive
-
were banteringprogressive
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had been banteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of banter
First recorded in 1660–70; origin uncertain
Explanation
Good friends usually banter back and forth easily, like they're trying to keep a step ahead of each other in witty responses. This type of banter is their special language of friendship. Banter is both a noun and a verb about talking. It comes from unknown origins, but even as a word, it seems to be playful and teasing. You can engage in banter with friends, siblings, parents, and even good-natured strangers. Banter usually ends with everyone feeling better for the talk and verbal play. Joking, joshing, and teasing are all related to banter.
Vocabulary lists containing banter
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Instagram account describes itself as a place for "the best confessions, memes and banter in Cardiff" and has more than 14,000 followers.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
He grew up on a dairy farm and remembers his father talking about people at harvest time, helping each other out then sharing "a bit of craic and banter".
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The banter between the two gives McDonagh’s script its usual comic crackle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
But beneath the banter lies a more complicated and character-defining social dynamic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
He watched the two anchors exchange banter with each other.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
Bergstrom, 41, spends most nights on a live-shopping app called Whatnot, where hosts like him auction collectibles in real time to an audience that simultaneously banters and bids on his goods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
But he makes frequent appearances on Israeli TV and radio, displaying a cheerful demeanor, quit wit and knack for deflecting criticism as he banters with his hosts.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 1, 2022
On the campaign trail, Duterte-Carpio banters with her audience and switches easily back and forth between Tagalog, effectively the national language, and Visayan, a language of the central and southern Philippines and her mother tongue.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 27, 2022
Miranda usually spends his time taking requests from listeners, with whom he playfully banters in Mexican slang from all regions of the country.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2021
He banters them less, perhaps, than the Cat Bird, but one would naturally expect all other birds to fly at him with vengeful purpose.
From Birds, Illustrated by Color Photography, Vol. 1, No. 6 June, 1897 by Various
He bantered with Maher, who supports the measure, and drew applause from the studio audience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025
As the stars bantered about the film, hundreds of other fans swarmed the main lobby waiting to get into the second sold-out screening.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2024
Harvick noted as much as he signed off from the Clash, where he and former teammate Bowyer bantered throughout Harvick’s second trial by fire.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 14, 2024
Welsh actors Sir Anthony Hopkins and Sir Jonathan Pryce bantered about who was the more Welsh on the set of their latest film, its director has said.
From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2024
Assuming that the rest of his team would be appearing shortly, Beidleman snapped some photos, bantered with Boukreev, and sat down to wait.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
Nostalgic fans witnessed the brothers hugging and bantering on stage during their gigs, marking a new direction for the rock stars who had spent more than a decade publicly insulting one another.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
She enjoys the bantering vibe of the crews she’s on, even if she still misses working with children.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026
At the Q&A session afterward, Triet and Harari were in fine spirits on the eve of the film’s release, bantering on stage about whether they’d write together again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2023
He watched as his team batted at the start of what would be a roughly five-hour match, bantering about cricket and careers with the players, who huddled on bleachers under a small square of shade.
From New York Times ● Jul. 15, 2023
But, then, I rather fancy it has more to do with this skill of bantering.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
