Dictionary.com

banter

[ ban-ter ]
/ ˈbæn tər /
See synonyms for: banter / bantering / banterer on Thesaurus.com

noun

an exchange of light, playful, teasing remarks; good-natured raillery.

verb (used with object)

to address with banter; chaff.

verb (used without object)

to use banter.

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Origin of banter

First recorded in 1660–70; origin uncertain

OTHER WORDS FROM banter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to banter

chitchat, gossip, repartee, ribbing, small talk, taunt, badinage, play, chaff, joking, mockery, ridicule, exchange, derision, jeering, fun, jesting, raillery, persiflage, dissing

Example sentences from the Web for banter

British Dictionary definitions for banter

banter
/ (ˈbæntə) /

verb

to speak to or tease lightly or jokingly

noun

light, teasing, or joking language or repartee

Derived forms of banter

banterer, noun

Word Origin for banter

C17: of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012