Synonyms of teasing

teasing 1 of 3

noun

as in harassment

the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another

stop that teasing before you make the baby cry

Synonyms & Similar Words

• harassment
• bothering
• bugging
• disturbance
• annoyance
• pestering
• torture
• torment
• harrying
• aggravation
• bedevilment
• importunity
• vexation
• persecution
• botheration
• provocation
• molestation
• offense
• mischief
• devilment
• aggro
• devilry

teasing

2 of 3

adjective

1

as in joking

Related Words

• joking
• bantering
• frivolous
• comic
• jesting
• amusing
• funny
• cerebral
• intellectual
• comical
• entertaining
• joshing
• ridiculous
• humorous
• witty
• screaming
• playful
• laughing
• highbrow
• hysterical
• riotous
• jocular
• rollicking
• ludicrous
• facetious
• antic
• laughable
• droll
• farcical
• uproarious
• mischievous
• risible
• clever
• highbrowed
• jovial
• prankish
• sidesplitting
• diverting
• merry
• mirthful
• jocose
• jolly
• smart
• flippant
• waggish
• sparkling
• whimsical
• flip
• sunny
• scintillating
• jocund
• pert
• smart-aleck
• smart-alecky

Dissimilar Words

• stupid
• witless
• lame
• brainless
• lowbrow
• serious
• corny
• hackneyed
• earnest
• humorless
• solemn
• hackney
• somber
• unfunny
• grave
• sorry
• plaintive
• sober
• tearful
• serious-minded
• unamusing
• doleful
• uncomic
• woeful
• dolorous
• lachrymose

2

as in taunting

Related Words

• taunting
• inducing
• inspiring
• motivating
• motivational
• jeering
• inspirational
• activating
• triggering
• inflammatory
• explosive
• energizing
• incendiary
• quickening
• vitalizing
• provoking
• motivative
• provocative
• maddening
• galvanizing
• upsetting
• exciting
• annoying
• stimulating
• aggravating
• irritating
• exasperating
• vexing
• irksome
• bothersome
• enraging
• angering
• inciting
• fiery
• vexatious
• pesky
• instigating
• edgy
• piquing
• instigative
• galling
• charged

Dissimilar Words

• noninflammatory
• subduing

teasing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of tease

1

as in kidding

to make fun of in a good-natured way

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• joking
• kidding
• razzing
• ribbing
• roasting
• joshing
• chaffing
• riding
• bantering
• jiving
• rallying
• goofing on
• funning
• taking the mickey out of
• fooling
• jesting
• wisecracking
• quipping
• jollying
• stringing along
• gagging
• japing
• yukking

2

as in mocking

to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults

grew up being teased because his parents were hog farmers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• taunting
• mocking
• bothering
• baiting
• riding
• ridiculing
• heckling
• torturing
• needling
• hazing
• annoying
• hassling
• picking on
• irritating
• plaguing
• making game of
• jeering
• trying
• pestering
• bullying
• troubling
• testing
• gibing
• goading
• deriding
• nagging
• tormenting
• itching
• bugging
• ruffling
• griping
• badgering
• spiting
• riling
• nettling
• aggravating
• irking
• harassing
• exasperating
• disturbing
• fretting
• burning (up)
• vexing
• chafing
• grating
• piquing
• rasping
• dogging
• agitating
• perturbing
• frosting
• hacking (off)
• getting
• galling
• discomforting
• gnawing (at)
• hounding
• browbeating
• bedeviling
• narking
• persecuting
• putting out
• hectoring
• terrorizing
• peeving
• beleaguering
• harrying
• hagriding
• aggrieving

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of teasing

Noun

While Lakshmana’s actions are presented as ways of protecting Sita, the mockery and teasing make the disfigurement hard to be seen as purely defensive and protective. — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

The news arrives after a cryptic graphic teasing the tour was posted on Instagram, featuring imagery from The Great Divide. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026

The movie is replete with long moments of silence, intense stares and gentle teasing and probing among the four that can feel particularly electric to some viewers. — David MacK, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026

But the two still co-parented well, and developed a teasing relationship, with McQueen sneakily making sure to marry his last wife, model Barbara Minty, before Adams married her second husband Alvin Toffel in 1980. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026

After months of teasing and mystery, Days Of Our Lives has revealed that British actor Kyle Pryor has been cast in the highly anticipated role of Dominic Marino. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026

While the exchange adds brief comic relief, what sounds like affectionate teasing is also a warning of what’s to come. — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026

Because after decades of rumors, whispers, teasing and the sort of speculation normally reserved for Elvis sightings and alien landings, a Days of Thunder sequel is officially on the fast track to theaters. — Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Here, in a characteristically unfiltered chat between Alix and Ashtin for InStyle, their sisterly bond—decidedly tender beneath the teasing—plays out in real time. — Lauren Valenti, InStyle, 26 Aug. 2026

Adjective

The thickset Armand Assante was a phlegmatic Odysseus, but Greta Scacchi, as Penelope—who has so little to say in the poem—became the physical embodiment of anger, and Isabella Rossellini was a teasing Athena. — David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026

The tiny humans sometimes linger in the blank space of your mind, staring back at you in a teasing way. — Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026

For June, in Miami, that’s a teasing treat. — Howard Cohen june 1, Miami Herald, 1 June 2026

Or when Reggie purposefully annoys Arthur by having his son, Carmelo (Jalyn Hall), practice with his a cappella group in Arthur’s editing suite, a move that demonstrates the increasingly teasing affection between Arthur and Reggie. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026

Verb

Heidi Klum is already terrorizing the general public by teasing what fresh hell awaits us with her forthcoming Halloween costume. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2026

The actor appeared in a mid-credits scene teasing his love story with Chan’s Astrid. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2026

Exod has been teasing the Base-01 this month but is holding the full detail drop for closer to a Spring 2027 (Northern Hemisphere) launch. — New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2026

After teasing the collab on their respective social channels earlier this week, the two have officially released their 37-piece collection—consisting of knits, jackets, and pants—in stores and online worldwide today. — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026

Buckingham has been quietly teasing big plans for next year, which might be the documentary in itself, or some form of a reunion. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026

Tremble’s taunt after his second TD was already coming in for teasing by his teammates postgame, as running back Chuba Hubbard (120 rushing yards, one TD) pretended to be a reporter and asked Tremble about it. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026

Mahomes began teasing the collection last week with several posts on her Instagram. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026

As part of the panel, co-showrunners and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau introduced a new clip teasing the second season, alongside series cast members Holly Hunter, Sandro Rosta, Bella Shepard, Karim Diané and Robert Picardo. — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026