Definition of tease
teased
;teasing
transitive verb
1a : to make fun of : kidb : to disturb or annoy by persistent irritating or provoking especially in a petty or mischievous wayc : to annoy with petty persistent requests : pester; also : to obtain by repeated coaxingd : to persuade to acquiesce especially by persistent small efforts : coaxe : 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
4a : to disentangle and lay parallel by combing or carding tease woolb : teasel
5 : to tear in pieces; especially : to shred (a tissue or specimen) for microscopic examination
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Examples of tease in a Sentence
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.
Origin and Etymology of tease
Middle English tesen, from Old English tǣsan; akin to Old High German zeisan to tease
Synonym Discussion of tease
tease
Definition of tease
Examples of tease in a Sentence
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.
First Known Use of tease
1680
TEASE Defined for English Language Learners
tease
playDefinition of tease for English Language Learners
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: to laugh at and criticize (someone) in a way that is either friendly and playful or cruel and unkind
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: to annoy or bother (an animal)
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: to make (hair) look fuller or bigger by combing it in a special way
TEASE Defined for Kids
Definition of tease for Students
teased
;teasing
1 : to make fun of … some kids tease me about my name. — Paula Danziger, Amber Brown
2 : to annoy again and again Stop teasing the dog.
teaser
nounDefinition of tease for Students
1 : the act of making fun of or repeatedly bothering a person or animal
2 : a person who makes fun of people usually in a friendly way
Medical Dictionary
tease
playMedical Definition of tease
teased
;teasing
: to tear in pieces; especially : to shred (a tissue or specimen) for microscopic examination
Learn More about tease
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See words that rhyme with tease Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tease Spanish Central: Translation of tease Nglish: Translation of tease for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tease for Arabic speakers
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