as in joke
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks
their tongue-in-cheek persiflage is sometimes mistaken for an exchange of insults by people who don't know them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of persiflage
None of this will keep Republicans and conservatives from attacking the reconciliation bill with smoke, mirrors and persiflage.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2022
As Nixon’s political strategist, Kevin Phillips, told the New York Times in 1970:
All the talk about Republicans making inroads into the Negro vote is persiflage.
—Jane Coaston, Vox, 12 Oct. 2018
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2022
As Nixon’s political strategist, Kevin Phillips, told the New York Times in 1970:
All the talk about Republicans making inroads into the Negro vote is persiflage.
—Jane Coaston, Vox, 12 Oct. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persiflage
Noun
-
But for too many of us, that proved an empty promise, the concept of work-life balance a cruel joke for women burned out from trying to take care of children and aging relatives, advance their careers (or even tread water in them), and meet other seemingly countless obligations.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Verizon had no say over the fate of an actor who once played a fictional ad icon on its behalf, but consumers got the joke.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
With time, their caustic raillery transforms into sincere attachment.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
13 May 2021
-
French’s evocation of place, a rural way of life and overall creepiness are superb, as is the dialogue, a festival of Irish raillery and repartee.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
14 Oct. 2020
Noun
-
The action flows, the badinage is fast and fun.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Each bus has a pair of hosts, whose badinage is corny but crowd-pleasing.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Noun
-
All of the familiar tropes are there, from the numerous pop songs peppering the action (including one by Phil Collins, just to remind you of Miami Vice) to the profane banter between the two main characters to the endless fights, shootouts and chases to the colorful villain.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The series’ penultimate novel also serves up the requisite Regency Bad Dad (™) for Gareth and extra helpings of falling-in-love banter, which is saying something given Quinn’s penchant for quippy characters.—
Sara Netzley,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That anything-for-a-laugh ethos is not a flaw in his canon but its animating principle.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The pair shared warm cups of oatmeal in the car, staying warm and having a laugh together about the wild turn the weather had taken.—
Kendall Malinchock,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Language There’s some crude language, jesting, and mature comedic themes, but but nothing the modern tween or teen hasn’t seen or heard before.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Brooks’s years honing his craft writing prickly characters and witty repartee ensures that not all of this scans as mindless escapism.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
10 Dec. 2025
-
The repartee arrived ahead of the reunion’s kiss-off date in Brazil this weekend.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
20 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
For his standup act, Bellamy blends conversational storytelling with observational humor, often drawing on his background in music and pop culture.—
Travis Pinson,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Written, performed, and produced by Franklin, Be True uses emotional transparency and humor to narrate the process of unpacking grief, faith, self-reckoning, and renewal.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Persiflage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persiflage. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
