raillery

American  

[rey-luh-ree] / ˈreɪ lə ri /

noun

plural

railleries

1. good-humored ridicule; banter.

   Synonyms:

   pleasantry, chaff, badinage

2. a bantering remark.

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raillery British  

/ ˈreɪlərɪ /

noun

1. light-hearted satire or ridicule; banter

2. an example of this, esp a bantering remark

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Etymology

Origin of raillery

1645–55; < French raillerie, equivalent to Middle French raill ( er ) to rail ² + -erie -ery

Explanation

Use the noun raillery to describe a kind of joking or gentle teasing. There will probably be a bit of raillery between elementary school students on a field trip bus, for example. If you engage in raillery, you make fun of someone — but lightheartedly, not in a way that would cause offense. The raillery between good friends or siblings might include laughter and teasing, or a joking banter back and forth. To rail is to complain, although its Middle French root, railler, means "to tease or joke," possibly from the Old Provençal word ralhar, "to scoff or to joke."

Example Sentences

The roguery and raillery are in place, and he has a pleasing way with a song, but his instincts for clowning undermine his suavity.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2019

The secret of his comedy was in his delivery, which was a blizzard of mockery, raillery and mayhem.

From Washington Post • Apr. 6, 2017

Advertisement Advertisement Often, though, their teasing doesn’t feel different from the family raillery of many a sitcom.

From New York Times • Aug. 9, 2015

Old pals, they knew each other’s foibles and weaknesses all too well and exploited them in an ongoing raillery of inside jokes, ragging, and general good-natured BS.

From Salon • Sep. 8, 2013

I saw their eyes bespeaking confusion at this raillery, sorrow to hear our liberator mocked thus, and anxiety at what His Lordship’s uncertainty might mean.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson