teaser

American  

[tee-zer] / ˈti zər /

noun

• teasers
  plural

1. a person or thing that teases.

2. an advertisement that lures customers or clients by offering a bonus, gift, or the like.

3. 1. Also called tease,.  Also called teaser ad.  Television. a short, impressionistic image, promotional video, or audio spot that reveals very little about the product or company being advertised and is presented to generate interest in advance of the primary advertising campaign.

   2. Also called teaser trailer,.  Also called trailer tease.  Movies. a short, edited promotional video to generate interest in an upcoming film and announce its release date: a teaser is a forerunner to full-length trailers for the film that feature highlights and are shown closer to the film’s distribution date.

   3. Also called bumper tease.  Television. bumper.

4. Informal. tease.

5. Theater. a drapery or flat piece across the top of the proscenium arch that masks the flies and that, together with the tormentors, forms a frame for the stage opening.

6. Printing, Journalism. kicker.

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teaser British  

/ ˈtiːzə /

noun

1. a person who teases

2. a preliminary advertisement in a campaign that attracts attention by making people curious to know what product is being advertised

3. a difficult question

4. vet science a vasectomized male animal, such as an ox, used to detect oestrus in females

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• teasers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of teaser

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English teser “machine for teasing wool”; see tease, -er ¹

Explanation

The nearly impossible puzzle your math teacher gives for extra credit can be called a teaser — a tricky problem to solve. A mystifying problem is one kind of teaser — another is a person who loves to tease. Your nose-grabbing, practical joking uncle is a teaser, especially if he enjoys gently mocking or making fun of you. Yet another teaser is the kind that opens a TV show — sort of a sneak preview of the story to come. This is closest to the original meaning of teaser, from 1934, "an introductory advertisement or sample."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

teaser teasers

“No humans were harmed during the making of this program” could be the teaser to “World’s Biggest Sharks,” though leading with a low mortality rate wouldn’t be ideal for the “Sharkfest” brand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

It turned out to be a teaser for an unreleased headphone model nobody knew existed.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

The singer announced the record, a sequel to 2005’s “Confessions On A Dancefloor,” on April 15, alongside a 60-second teaser video for “I Feel Free.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2026

More than a week ago, HBO released the teaser for the reboot, introducing Dominic McLaughlin as the new face of The Boy Who Lived.

From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2026

Those 2005 mortgages are only now reaching the end of their teaser rate periods, and it will be 2008 before the 2006 mortgages get there.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Like videogames, mini-dramas try to hook viewers with free episodes or teasers before asking them to pay or watch ads to unlock the remaining content.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

Fake Doomsday teasers and talk of leaks are rife online.

From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2026

They’ve dissected every shot of the trailer and teasers, they’ve planned viewing parties to watch both new releases — the question of overexposure is a nonstarter to them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025

That includes egg casserole variations and a twist on a traditional bacon and egg sandwich that includes sriracha aioli, she shared as teasers.

From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2025

So no one saw the teasers for the nightly news or watched the news that evening.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Related Words

• conundrum
• enigma
• problem
• question
• riddle
• secrecy
• subtlety
• thriller