Dictionary.com

persiflage

[ pur-suh-flahzh, pair- ]
/ ˈpɜr səˌflɑʒ, ˈpɛər- /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for persiflage on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

VIDEO FOR PERSIFLAGE

WATCH NOW: Better Your Banter With This Playful Term

Join this conversation: Can you guess what "persiflage" means before the end of this illustration?

MORE VIDEOS FROM DICTIONARY.COM

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
The Sunflower State
The Evergreen State
The Magnolia State
The Mockingbird State
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of persiflage

First recorded in 1750–60; from French, derivative of persifler “to banter,” equivalent to per- prefix meaning “through, thoroughly, very” + siffler “to whistle, hiss,” from Late Latin sifilāre, for Latin sībilāre; see per-, sibilant, -age

Words nearby persiflage

Persian violet, Persian walnut, persicaria, Persichetti, persiennes, persiflage, persimmon, Persis, persist, persistence, persistence of vision
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to persiflage

frivolity, banter, mockery, chaffing

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
See Today's Synonym