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

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

In 2022, comic Li Bo was fined 50,000 yuan ($7,400) for joking about the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in Shanghai and teasing teenagers. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026

The show’s first two episodes feature scenes of shadowboxing, random bouts of wrestling and friendly teasing between players and coaches in between the hustle and bustle of an NFL training camp. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 13 Aug. 2026

Baldur is more circumspect, irked at having temporarily lost his boat in the mishap, and unsettled by Helge’s teasing manner, which could be interpreted as either adversarial or flirtatious. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026

While there's still plenty of work to come on their feature film collaboration, Fortune laughed off Bush Hager's teasing question about becoming besties with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026

Watching for subtle signs, like controlling behavior or mean-spirited teasing, can help parents address bullying early. — Sherri Gordon, Parents, 22 June 2026

The bun has truly impressive volume, but no visible teasing or fluffiness—just dense, smooth structure. — Marci Robin, Allure, 17 June 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

Bill Hader offered his thoughts on voice acting and artificial intelligence while teasing his next projects at the Variety Entertainment & Technology Summit presented by EY, held Thursday in Los Angeles. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026

After teasing fans on social media and in interviews for the past few months, Oasis have officially announced a 2027 tour. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

In early June, TMJ4 started teasing a new addition to its staff via a video, which showed its weather team greeting a woman walking toward them, who was only shown from the back. — Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2026

The couple have been teasing plans on a Gibraltar Trade Center 2 Facebook page. — Laura Colvin, Freep.com, 11 Sep. 2026

The disbanded girl group excited its followers Wednesday with a social media post teasing a big announcement for the following day. — Doha Madani, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026

Below, during a conversation with THR, Cregger also discusses the personal reasons why Resident Evil was his most challenging shoot yet, before teasing the impactful ending that has been highly protected thus far. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026

Six Flags Magic Mountain, garnering headlines tied to the safety of its X2 coaster, is looking ahead to 2027 and teasing a Thursday announcement for its next big thrill ride. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

The full trailer — teasing what’s to come in episodes 1-8 — is out and totally re-watchable. — Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026