persiflage

[ pur-suh-flahzh, pair- ]
/ ˈpɜr səˌflɑʒ, ˈpɛər- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR persiflage ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

light, bantering talk or writing.
a frivolous or flippant style of treating a subject.

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Origin of persiflage

1750–60; < French, derivative of persifler to banter, equivalent to per- per- + siffler to whistle, hiss < Late Latin sifilāre, for Latin sībilāre; see sibilant, -age

Words nearby persiflage

persian walnut, persians, the, persicaria, persichetti, persiennes, persiflage, persimmon, persis, persist, persistence, persistence of memory, the
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to persiflage

frivolity, banter, mockery

Example sentences from the Web for persiflage

British Dictionary definitions for persiflage

persiflage
/ (ˈpɜːsɪˌflɑːʒ) /

noun

light frivolous conversation, style, or treatment; friendly teasing

Word Origin for persiflage

C18: via French, from persifler to tease, from per- (intensive) + siffler to whistle, from Latin sībilāre to whistle
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