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
-
According to The New York Times, Chappelle — who has been under fired for his transphobic jokes in the past — used his comedy set at the Riyadh Comedy Festival to speak about the lack of freedom of speech in the United States, especially in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
-
People taking offense at jokes simply didn’t land as a news story anymore.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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
-
But rather than light-hearted banter, the messages took a cruel turn.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
-
By contrast, Accra, the nation’s capital, with its Parliamentary Building and Black Star Square, is enlivened by streams of mellow banter and commerce.—
Edna Bonhomme,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In fact, the toddler's laugh can actually be heard on the record.—
Mark Gray,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Like most anthologies, horror or otherwise, they can be hit or miss, though just about every one of the individual segments in the franchise is good for a scare or at least a laugh.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
At one point, O’Steen was confused by a question, and the resulting back-and-forth was reminiscent of an Abbott and Costello repartee.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Hoffman and Jonsson are both brilliant, vulnerable in their humanity in the face of such unfathomable conditions, but their repartee does seem forced and often maudlin.—
Gregory Nussen,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
By pivoting back to pop anthems with humor, empathy, a little fury and a lot of wisdom, Swift ensures that ascent will continue.—
Jason Lipshutz,
Billboard,
3 Oct. 2025
-
For Beckham, the choice carried both humor and fashion weight.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Day 2 of school and the wheat’s already been separated from the chaff.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Aug. 2025
-
After hiring an industry executive, the company figured out how to separate the valuable ore from the chaff.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persiflage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persiflage. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share