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raillery

[rey-luh-ree]
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noun, plural rail·ler·ies.
  1. good-humored ridicule; banter.
  2. a bantering remark.
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Origin of raillery

1645–55; < French raillerie, equivalent to Middle French raill(er) to rail2 + -erie -ery

Synonyms

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1. jesting, joking, badinage, chaff, pleasantry.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

funbadinageridiculeteasingribbingplaymockerybantersatirepleasantryderisionroastingsportironypersiflageparodyrazzingjestingjokingjoshing

Examples from the Web for raillery

Historical Examples

  • For my own part, I thought pride in his case an improper subject for raillery.

    Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)

    Samuel Richardson

  • Her raillery, like the raillery of princes, was without fear of retort.

  • I have done with raillery: my first, my only object, is your happiness.

  • For the edge may be taken off, if it does not make the subject of its raillery wince a little.

    Clarissa, Volume 2 (of 9)

    Samuel Richardson

  • I was a little afraid of his raillery, and of the quickness of his observation.

British Dictionary definitions for raillery

raillery

noun plural -leries
  1. light-hearted satire or ridicule; banter
  2. an example of this, esp a bantering remark
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Word Origin

C17: from French, from railler to tease, banter; see rail ²
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

Word Origin and History for raillery

n.

"good-humored ridicule," 1650s, from rail (v.) + -ery, or perhaps from French raillerie, from Middle French railler "to tease" (see rail (v.1)).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper