teasing

[ tee-zing ]

See synonyms for: teasing teasings on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.
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.

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.

adjective

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.

Origin of teasing

First recorded in 1585–95; teas(e) + -ing¹ for the noun senses; teas(e) + -ing² for the adjective sense

The result is a standout, lyrically bleak novel whose teasing title, “The Dark Remains,” can be taken to mean a few things — none of them good.
Ian Rankin took on the challenge of finishing his mentor’s book. The result is a darkly beautiful novel. | Maureen Corrigan | September 22, 2021 | Washington Post
I inherited the Arnold Family Thunder ThighsTM, which was a source of frequent teasing and distress for me as a child.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder | Carrie Arnold | December 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
After some teasing and talking, Mulvehill writes that she is “hesitant” but they start kissing.
School Shooters Love This Pickup Artist Website | Brandy Zadrozny | December 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The teasing is so common that is has been accepted as “the standard ginger bullying” by those who Knights has encountered.
Redheads Are Sexy, Dammit! | Justin Jones | September 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Leach ran an ad teasing Margolies about her Clinton connection, dismissing the first family of Democratic politics as old news.
What Democratic Revolt? Moderate Cruises in PA-13 Primary | David Freedlander | May 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

The group was overheard teasing Harry about reports that he will soon be walking down the aisle.
Harry and Cressida 'Break Up' | Tom Sykes | April 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Then I suddenly realised she was talking seriously—looking to me for help of some kind—and at once I dropped the teasing attitude.
Three More John Silence Stories | Algernon Blackwood
Tom and Blanche had fallen into teasing tricks, a sort of melancholy play to relieve the tedium.
The Daisy Chain | Charlotte Yonge
He has been teasing my parrot in its cage, and has plucked so many of its feathers that it now looks like a beaked rat.
Kari the Elephant | Dhan Gopal Mukerji
I came up to the elephant, and seeing what was going on, told the white men to stop teasing him.
Kari the Elephant | Dhan Gopal Mukerji
All night the thought crept through my brain like a teasing spider: What can we do to make him stay?
The Holes and John Smith | Edward W. Ludwig

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