tease

[teez]

verb (used with object)

teased, teasing 

1. 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.

   Synonyms: annoy, vex, disturb, trouble
   Antonyms: mollify

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. to pull apart or separate the adhering fibers of (wool or the like), as in combing or carding; comb or card, as wool; shred.

5. to ruffle (the hair) by holding it at the ends and combing toward the scalp so as to give body to a hairdo.

6. to raise a nap on (cloth) with teasels; teasel.

7. 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)

teased, teasing 

1. to provoke, disturb, torment, or bully a person or animal with persistent annoyances or harassment.

noun

1. a person who teases or annoys.

2. 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.

3. the act of teasing or the state of being teased.

4. Television.,  teaser.

verb phrase

1. 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

1. to annoy (someone) by deliberately offering something with the intention of delaying or withdrawing the offer

2. to arouse sexual desire in (someone) with no intention of satisfying it

3. to vex (someone) maliciously or playfully, esp by ridicule

4. (tr) to separate the fibres of; comb; card

5. (tr) to raise the nap of (a fabric) with a teasel

6. Also: backcomb. to comb the under layers of (the hair) towards the roots to give more bulk to a hairstyle

7. (tr) to loosen or pull apart (biological tissues, etc) by delicate agitation or prodding with an instrument

noun

1. a person or thing that teases

2. 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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tease¹

Old English tǣsan; related to Old High German zeisan to pick

Synonym Study

See bother.

Example Sentences

The EV leader has long teased the idea of making more affordable vehicles to allow people with lower incomes to go green.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, she said, she did “some light teasing” about the way she and Gomez used to dress when they met as teenagers in 2008.

From Los Angeles Times

She never felt comfortable in class and tried to “slide under the radar” — afraid that her unique voice, which resonates sweetly at a higher pitch — would cause classmates to tease her.

From Los Angeles Times

The trailer announcing the reboot of the classic PBS series was released Monday, with host Mychal Threets — also known as Mychal the Librarian — teasing new episodes with celebrity guests, art projects and more.

From Los Angeles Times

Powell, a steadfast Texas Longhorn fan, teased him: “The fact that Alabama beat you guys at home before Texas could beat you guys at home just really bummed me out.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• annoy 
• badger 
• bother 
• harass 
• mock 
• needle 
• nudge 
• pester 
• pick on 
• ridicule 
• tantalize 
• taunt 
• torment