Thesaurus

tease

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of tease

1 a person who causes repeated emotional pain, distress, or annoyance to another

she can be a very cruel tease when she happens upon an unpopular girl who is easily hurt

Synonyms of tease

baiter, harasser, heckler, mocker, needler, persecutor, quiz, quizzer, ridiculer, taunter, teaser, tormentor (also tormenter), torturer

Words Related to tease

belittler, derider, detractor, giber (or jiber), insulter, jeerer, scoffer, scorner

smart aleck (also smart alec), smarty (or smartie), smarty-pants, wiseacre, wiseguy

kidder, lampooner, satirist

accuser, blamer, troublemaker

assailant, attacker, molester, victimizer

bother, disturber, pest

Near Antonyms of tease

defender, deliverer, guard, protector, rescuer, savior (or saviour)

comforter, solace, soother, succorer

bodyguard, champion

2 one who is obnoxiously annoying

my youngest brother is a complete tease, following me around everywhere and aping my every move

Synonyms of tease

annoyance, annoyer, bother, gadfly, gnawer, nudnik (also nudnick), nuisance, pain, persecutor, pest, teaser

Words Related to tease

harrier, heckler, interrupter (also interruptor)

harasser, molester, tormentor (also tormenter), torturer

Phrases Synonymous with tease

pain in the neck

Near Antonyms of tease

charmer, smoothy (or smoothie)

comforter, solacer, soother

tease

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of tease

1 to make fun of in a good-natured way

likes to tease her twin brother about his seemingly endless string of girlfriends

Synonyms of tease

chaff, jive, joke, josh, kid, rally, razz, rib, ride, roast

Words Related to tease

fool, fun, string along

jest, quip, wisecrack

gag, jape, jolly, yuk (or yuck) [slang]

Phrases Synonymous with tease

goof on [slang], take the mickey out of [British]

2 to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults

grew up being teased because his parents were hog farmers

Synonyms of tease

bait, hassle, haze, heckle, needle, ride, taunt

Words Related to tease

deride, gibe (or jibe), jeer, mock, ridicule

annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, fret, frost, gall, get, gnaw (at), grate, gripe, hack (off), hagride, irk, irritate, itch, nag, nark [British], nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, spite, trouble, vex

aggravate, exasperate, goad, test, try

aggrieve, agitate, bedevil, beleaguer, discomfort, disturb, perturb

badger, dog, hound

browbeat, bully, hector

harass, harry, persecute, plague, terrorize, torment, torture

Phrases Synonymous with tease

make game of, pick on

Synonym Discussion of 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

Learn More about tease

See words that rhyme with tease Dictionary: Definition of tease Medical Dictionary: Definition of 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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WORD OF THE DAY

sporadic

not constant or steady