tease
Americanverb (used with object)
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teases,
present (3rd person singular)
-
teased,
past participle, past
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teasing
present participle
-
to irritate or provoke with persistent petty distractions, trifling jests, or other annoyances, often in a playful way.
If your little sister is teasing you about your boyfriend and following you around making kissy faces, it’s because she’s jealous and wants your attention.
- Antonyms:
- mollify
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to bully, harass, or torment.
I was teased about my lisp when I was younger.
New animals are kept isolated when they first arrive at the sanctuary to prevent the established pack from teasing or frightening them.
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to purposely excite or sexually arouse (someone) without subsequent gratification.
Don’t tease me with vacation ideas you know we can’t afford!
She teased her fiancé with a sexy little dance even though she knew they couldn’t go all the way with a house full of guests.
-
to pull apart or separate the adhering fibers of (wool or the like), as in combing or carding; comb or card, as wool; shred.
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to ruffle (the hair) by holding it at the ends and combing toward the scalp so as to give body to a hairdo.
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to raise a nap on (cloth) with teasels; teasel.
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to introduce (a new product) without revealing details about it, conveying only that the product exists and will be available at a future date.
Both developers teased next generation game consoles at the expo, but neither released specs.
verb (used without object)
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teases,
present (3rd person singular)
-
teased,
past participle, past
-
teasing
present participle
noun
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teases
plural
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a person who teases or annoys.
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a person who purposely excites or sexually arouses another, but then withholds gratification: All I did was set some sexual boundaries, but now he's spreading rumors that I'm a tease.
The weatherman needs to stop being such a tease with these predicted snow days.
All I did was set some sexual boundaries, but now he's spreading rumors that I'm a tease.
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the act of teasing or the state of being teased.
-
Television. teaser.
verb phrase
verb
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to annoy (someone) by deliberately offering something with the intention of delaying or withdrawing the offer
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to arouse sexual desire in (someone) with no intention of satisfying it
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to vex (someone) maliciously or playfully, esp by ridicule
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(tr) to separate the fibres of; comb; card
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(tr) to raise the nap of (a fabric) with a teasel
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Also: backcomb. to comb the under layers of (the hair) towards the roots to give more bulk to a hairstyle
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(tr) to loosen or pull apart (biological tissues, etc) by delicate agitation or prodding with an instrument
noun
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a person or thing that teases
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the act of teasing
Synonym Usage
See bother.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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teasablenessnoun
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outteaseverb (used with object)
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teasableadjective
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teasingadjective
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unteasedadjective
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teasinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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teasesimple
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teasessimple
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have teasedperfect
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has teasedperfect
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am teasingprogressive
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are teasingprogressive
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is teasingprogressive
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have been teasingperfect progressive
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has been teasingperfect progressive
Past
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teasedsimple
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had teasedperfect
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was teasingprogressive
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were teasingprogressive
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had been teasingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tease
First recorded before 1000; Middle English verb tese(n), teise, Old English tǣsan “to pull, tear, comb”; cognate with Middle Low German tesen, Old High German zeisan “to pluck”; the noun is derivative of the verb
Explanation
To tease is to pick on someone or to give false hope. You can tease your little sister by saying "nanny nanny boo boo" or by holding a cookie just out of her reach. Tease, a modern spelling of the Old English taesan “pluck, pull apart" is now associated with the act of harassing. You can still use tease as a verb, though, to describe the act of backcombing your hair to give it volume. But more commonly, tease refers to messing with someone. There’s an old proverb, “Patience when teased is often transformed into rage,” which means if you tease someone a lot, you might get your booty kicked!
Vocabulary lists containing tease
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Analysts use statistical techniques like linear regression to help tease this out.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
Even Michael Giacchino’s energetic orchestral music is in on the heist, surging with melodies so familiar they tease us to guess which classic John Williams score inspired them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
"I still tease him, he used to kick lumps out of me in training at the 2006 World Cup. It's not true, he tells me. But I remember," said Messi.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
My brothers still tease me, but I know they’re proud.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
“Yeah. Delicious. Blue lobster and melted yellow butter. Mmmmm,” I say to tease him, but crack up over his expression.
From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
She teases much of her advice on TikTok, but most of it comes with a cost.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The Independent teases its new documentary on "kito" attacks in Nigeria on its front page, titled "Hunted".
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
Her son, Jack, 34, whom she shares with ex-husband Dennis Quaid, often teases his mom about her home renovation process and has even branded her work “Meg-anized.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
Howeth teases, will relate to some of the L.A. attraction’s character groups and themes, as well as its overall story.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
“I decided to witness the exchanging of the captive,” he teases, grabbing my backpack and slinging it over his shoulder.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
The incoming prime minister's team has already teased some of the measures Burnham is expected to take in his first months in charge.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
They teased me and called me Dogface, a term of endearment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Oliver Tree’s music and memory lived on at the Electric Forest festival over the weekend, where T-Pain and Shaquille O’Neal teased what is likely the late singer’s final project.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
This week, Carlson teased an interview with podcasters Joel Webbon and J.D.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026
“You’re welcome. Easy on my casting arm,” she teased.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
Now he is teasing what he calls a final attacking "bomba", with moves for two forwards expected, including one for Manchester City's Savinho.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Partridge, 23, smiles at this and tells me there is something almost sibling-like about their dynamic, which may explain why they are so comfortable teasing each other.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
The trailer also offers a glimpse into Sally and Gillian’s present lives — with the latter teasing the former’s apparent lack of love life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, attending the summit as a guest, could not resist teasing Macron, an avowed fan of PSG's bitter southern rivals Olympique de Marseille.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
“We’re just teasing you, nephew. Here, take this. We wear white for celebrations.”
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
