teased; teasing
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
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
Chris Kenning, USA Today, 11 May 2025
However, the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has teased an agreement over the terms for such a ceasefire as Kyiv's allies meet in the Ukrainian capital this weekend.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 11 May 2025
The indie band, led by Jenny Lewis, took the late-night show stage for an intimate performance that focused on the music rather than dramatic production, offering a tease of their current tour.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tease
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Verb
Prevost was so dedicated to becoming a priest, his brother would tease him about being the pope.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 11 May 2025
However, the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has teased an agreement over the terms for such a ceasefire as Kyiv's allies meet in the Ukrainian capital this weekend.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025
Noun
Sports rights will connect streaming with traditional media, with teases of NFL games expected throughout the upfront ahead of the league’s official 2025 schedule unveiling.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 11 May 2025
The indie band, led by Jenny Lewis, took the late-night show stage for an intimate performance that focused on the music rather than dramatic production, offering a tease of their current tour.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tease
Cite this Entry
“Tease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tease. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tease
1 of 2 verb
teased; teasing
1
: to untangle and lay parallel by combing or carding
tease wool
teaser
noun
tease
2 of 2 noun1
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
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