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tease
[teez]
verb (used with object)
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: mollifyto 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.
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.
to ruffle (the hair) by holding it at the ends and combing toward the scalp so as to give body to a hairdo.
to raise a nap on (cloth) with teasels; teasel.
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)
to provoke, disturb, torment, or bully a person or animal with persistent annoyances or harassment.
noun
a person who teases or annoys.
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.
the act of teasing or the state of being teased.
Television., teaser.
verb phrase
tease out, to discover, understand, or disentangle (complex, interconnected, or hidden information).
Only recently have scientists teased out a causal link between sleep loss and mood disorders, like anxiety.
tease
/ tiːz /
verb
to annoy (someone) by deliberately offering something with the intention of delaying or withdrawing the offer
to arouse sexual desire in (someone) with no intention of satisfying it
to vex (someone) maliciously or playfully, esp by ridicule
(tr) to separate the fibres of; comb; card
(tr) to raise the nap of (a fabric) with a teasel
Also: backcomb. to comb the under layers of (the hair) towards the roots to give more bulk to a hairstyle
(tr) to loosen or pull apart (biological tissues, etc) by delicate agitation or prodding with an instrument
noun
a person or thing that teases
the act of teasing
Other Word Forms
- teasable adjective
- teasableness noun
- outtease verb (used with object)
- unteased adjective
- teasing adjective
- teasingly adverb
Word History and Origins
Origin of tease1
Word History and Origins
Origin of tease1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
It looks pretty forthright on the page, but Mr. Isaacson skillfully teases fresh pith and resonance out of those familiar words.
The Duffer Brothers are also developing a spinoff series with new characters and a “clean slate,” which they teased in a recent interview with Variety.
Trying to determine who among the applicants had “good moral character” without knowing their families made teasing out the best candidates even trickier.
Apple has been branded an AI laggard, and indeed the company has struggled to roll out the AI features it has teased.
“We’re just teasing you, nephew. Here, take this. We wear white for celebrations.”
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