teasing

American  

[tee-zing] / ˈti zɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of persistently annoying someone, especially playfully and with silly jokes about them.

   Most holidays, we all manage to squeeze in at Grandma’s and enjoy a crazy day full of laughter, teasing, eating, and sharing.

2. the act of bullying, harassing, or tormenting someone.

   Many students with learning disabilities suffer the frustration of low achievement and the teasing and poor self-image that come with it.

3. the act of purposely exciting, tantalizing, or sexually arousing someone without providing subsequent gratification.

   She smiled over her shoulder at him, brown eyes shiny with teasing.

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adjective

1. harassing, tantalizing, or playfully annoying someone in any of these ways.

   In answer to my eager question, they shrugged a teasing “maybe.”

   Lisa turns 20 next month and her mother is already sending her teasing texts featuring grandma emojis.

Other Word Forms

• teasingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of teasing

First recorded in 1585–95; teas(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; teas(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective sense

Example Sentences

After months of teasing fans, Horan will release his new single Dinner Party later this month - his first solo song since his last album in 2023.

From BBC

I send a few laughing faces in reply, so she knows I’m cool with her teasing me.

From Literature

Big Maggie would have laughed, but my heart wasn’t in the teasing.

From Literature

He said it in that silly, teasing tone we’d been using this whole time, but he might as well have grabbed my heart and squeezed it in his fist.

From Literature

Somewhere in between the teasing and the bickering, I’d come to think of him as more than a mandatory partner.

From Literature

Related Words

• irritating
• joking
• mocking