teaser

American  

[tee-zer] / ˈti zər /

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of teaser

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

Example Sentences

The final bonus scene in “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is more of a teaser for what could come in a future “Mario” installment.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The 2008 crisis showed the dangers of rates surging after short teaser periods, but regulations since then have meant ARMs now have longer initial fixed periods, providing a bigger buffer before monthly payments jump.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

As a teaser trailer released late last year noted, with a bit of cribbing from Peter Jackson, “the age of toys is over.”

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

In the lab, each person attempted to solve a series of brain teaser puzzles, with three minutes allotted per puzzle.

From Science Daily • Feb. 15, 2026

“They were making loans to lower-income people at a teaser rate when they knew they couldn’t afford to pay the go-to rate,” said Eisman.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

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