tease

1 of 2

verb

teased; teasing

transitive verb

1
a
: to make fun of : kid
b
: to disturb or annoy by persistent irritating or provoking especially in a petty or mischievous way
c
: to annoy with petty persistent requests : pester
also : to obtain by repeated coaxing
d
: to persuade to acquiesce especially by persistent small efforts : coax
e
: to manipulate or influence as if by teasing
2
: to comb (hair) by taking hold of a strand and pushing the short hairs toward the scalp with the comb
3
: to tantalize especially by arousing desire or curiosity often without intending to satisfy it
4
a
: to disentangle and lay parallel by combing or carding
tease wool
b
: teasel
5
: to tear in pieces
especially : to shred (a tissue or specimen) for microscopic examination
teasingly adverb

tease

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act of teasing : the state of being teased
2
: one that teases
Choose the Right Synonym for tease

worry, annoy, harass, harry, plague, pester, tease mean to disturb or irritate by persistent acts.

worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

Examples of tease in a Sentence

Verb He and his wife enjoy teasing each other about their different tastes in music. The other children teased her because she was wearing braces. He was always teased by his brother about being short. Oh, don't get so angry. I was just teasing! The boy's mother told him to stop teasing the dog. Noun a pretty girl who has the reputation of being a bit of a tease The lower rate is just a tease to attract new customers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Taylor Swift is teasing the Reputation (Taylor's Version) era. Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Details on the dating show are scarce, but Dr. Phil McGraw teased the series to Entertainment Tonight. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 Camila Cabello is teasing new music to go with her new hairstyle. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 Unsurprisingly, the car doesn’t have the futuristic powertrain that Jaguar had initially teased. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024 Keith Lee, a former MMA fighter and current social media food critic with 17 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, has been in Arizona for about a week after teasing his arrival in late February. Endia Fontanez, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 Rivian has been teasing its R2 electric vehicle for a while now, which is expected to be a smaller and more affordable compact SUV versus its current R1S. Jon Porter, The Verge, 5 Mar. 2024 The film’s climactic scene teases what’s to come, but also features a moment where the audience gazes upon a stellar lineup of young Hollywood royalty — Chalamet, Zendaya, Butler and Pugh — each bringing their unique talents to the lore. Clayton Davis, Variety, 2 Mar. 2024 Its brown-on-brown battle scenes tease a generation ignorant of war and politics and that is no longer encouraged to believe in the Messiah (certainly not petulant Chalamet). Armond White, National Review, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Related article Nicole Kidman’s AMC ad is two years old, and just as beloved (and divisive) as ever In a tease of what’s to come, AMC this week shared a new version of Kidman’s familiar minute-long spot. Scottie Andrew, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 Love’s tease of a reunion with her band Hole — which disbanded over two decades ago in 2002 and briefly got back together with a different lineup from 2009 to 2012 — was welcomed by the crowd, who erupted in cheers. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 The trailer for the upcoming three-part reunion teases that Richards will address her separation, her and Umansky’s future, and her relationship with friend and musician Morgan Wade when taking her seat on the couch with host Andy Cohen and the rest of the cast, starting on Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024 The Fortnite tease comes amid Gaga working on new music. Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2024 The documentary trailer teases harrowing behind-the-scenes footage of Williams struggling with her health, as well as candid new interviews with her, marking a rare public appearance for the former talk show host. Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 But it can be remade, and after a 15-year tease following a 2005 PlayStation 3 tech demo, Square Enix managed to weaponize its nostalgia with the release of 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2024 Here’s a quick tease from our team at HotHardware... MORE FOR YOU Forbes Daily: Get the important news of the day, in only 5 minutes. Dave Altavilla, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 However, the Happily Ever After description teases turmoil for the couple, including arguments that just might drive Jasmine back to Panama alone. Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tease.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English tesen, from Old English tǣsan; akin to Old High German zeisan to tease

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Noun

1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tease was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near tease

Cite this Entry

“Tease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tease. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tease

1 of 2 verb
teased; teasing
1
: to untangle and lay parallel by combing or carding
tease wool
2
a
: to annoy continually : pester, torment
b
c
: to make fun of
teaser noun
teasingly adverb

tease

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: the act of teasing
b
: the state of being teased
2
: one that teases

Medical Definition

tease

transitive verb
teased; teasing
: to tear in pieces
especially : to shred (a tissue or specimen) for microscopic examination

More from Merriam-Webster on tease

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!