Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Causing mild irritation or playful annoyance: Describes actions, words, or behavior intended to provoke or make fun of someone in a lighthearted, often persistent way.
   • Arousing interest or desire without intending to satisfy it: Describes something that is provocatively suggestive or tempting but not meant to be fulfilled.

2. Noun:

   • The act of making fun of or provoking someone playfully or maliciously: The action of teasing someone.
   • The act of untangling hair: The action of carefully combing out knots or tangles from hair.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:

  • He gave her a teasing grin before walking away. (His smile was meant to provoke a playful reaction.)
  • The teasing comments from her friends were all in good fun. (The comments were intended as lighthearted provocation.)
  • She spoke in a teasing tone that was both flirtatious and frustrating. (Her tone was provocatively suggestive.)

• Noun:

  • The constant teasing about his new glasses made him self-conscious. (The persistent playful mockery affected him.)
  • Her hair required gentle teasing to remove the knots after the swim. (The untangling of her hair was done carefully.)

Advanced Usage

• "bordering on teasing": Describing behavior that is almost, but not quite, teasing.

  • His remarks were friendly but bordering on teasing.

• "good-natured teasing": Teasing that is understood and accepted as playful and not malicious.

  • Their relationship involved a lot of good-natured teasing.

Variants and Related Words

• Tease (verb/noun): The core action or a person who teases.

  • He loves to tease his little sister. (Verb)
  • Don't be such a tease! (Noun, often for someone who is provocatively tempting.)

• Teasingly (adverb): In a teasing manner.

  • She smiled teasingly.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Mocking, joking, provocative, tantalizing, vexing.
• Noun: Ribbing, banter, mockery, taunting.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: "Teasing" is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. The related verb "tease" is used instead.) - Tease out: To separate or extract something carefully, often information or threads. - The interviewer tried to tease out the details of the story.

Related Idioms

• "Just teasing": A phrase used to indicate that a previous provocative statement was meant as a joke and not to be taken seriously.
  • I didn't mean it—I was just teasing!

Adjective

1. causing irritation or annoyance
   • tapping an annoying rhythm on his glass with his fork
   • aircraft noise is particularly bothersome near the airport
   • found it galling to have to ask permission
   • an irritating delay
   • nettlesome paperwork
   • a pesky mosquito
   • swarms of pestering gnats
   • a plaguey newfangled safety catch
   • a teasing and persistent thought annoyed him
   • a vexatious child
   • it is vexing to have to admit you are wrong
2. arousing sexual desire without intending to satisfy it
   • her lazy teasing smile
3. playfully vexing (especially by ridicule)
   • his face wore a somewhat quizzical almost impertinent air- Lawrence Durrell

Noun

1. the act of removing tangles from you hair with a comb
2. playful vexation
   • the parody was just a form of teasing
3. the act of harassing someone playfully or maliciously (especially by ridicule); provoking someone with persistent annoyances
   • he ignored their teases
   • his ribbing was gentle but persistent