Synonyms of tease

tease 1 of 5

noun (1)

1

as in teaser

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 & Similar Words

• teaser
• harasser
• torturer
• tormentor
• attacker
• mocker
• quiz
• taunter
• heckler
• quizzer
• needler
• victimizer
• ridiculer
• accuser
• persecutor
• baiter
• insulter
• assailant
• detractor
• scoffer
• pest
• scorner
• wise guy
• smart aleck
• smarty
• derider
• wiseacre
• jeerer
• troublemaker
• giber
• kidder
• satirist
• smarty-pants
• disturber
• bother
• belittler
• lampooner
• trash-talker
• blamer
• molester

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• guard
• protector
• defender
• savior
• deliverer
• rescuer
• solace
• comforter
• champion
• bodyguard
• soother
• succorer

2

as in nuisance

one who is obnoxiously annoying

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nuisance
• annoyance
• annoyer
• pest
• teaser
• bother
• pain in the neck
• gadfly
• pain
• headache
• persecutor
• gnawer
• nudnik
• plague
• interrupter
• tormentor
• harrier
• heckler
• torturer
• harasser
• molester
• hassle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• charmer
• comforter
• soother
• smoothy
• solacer

tease

2 of 5

verb (1)

ˈtēz 

1

as in to joke

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

• joke
• kid
• razz
• roast
• rib
• ride
• fun
• rally
• jive
• banter
• goof on
• josh
• take the mickey out of
• chaff
• fool
• jest
• quip
• string along
• gag
• wisecrack
• jolly
• jape
• yuk

2

as in to taunt

to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults

grew up being teased because his parents were hog farmers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• taunt
• mock
• annoy
• bother
• ride
• bait
• ridicule
• pick on
• heckle
• needle
• irritate
• torture
• haze
• try
• make game of
• hassle
• plague
• trouble
• pester
• test
• deride
• spite
• jeer
• disturb
• torment
• bully
• burn (up)
• rile
• aggravate
• vex
• gibe
• goad
• irk
• harass
• ruffle
• nag
• exasperate
• itch
• bug
• gnaw (at)
• hack (off)
• badger
• frost
• get
• gripe
• put out
• pique
• fret
• perturb
• grate
• dog
• discomfort
• chafe
• peeve
• agitate
• persecute
• gall
• bedevil
• hound
• terrorize
• nettle
• browbeat
• nark
• aggrieve
• beleaguer
• rasp
• hagride
• hector
• harry

teasing

3 of 5

noun (2)

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

4 of 5

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

5 of 5

verb (2)

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

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb tease contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of tease are annoy, harass, harry, pester, plague, and worry. While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

In what contexts can annoy take the place of tease?

While in some cases nearly identical to tease, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

When would harass be a good substitute for tease?

In some situations, the words harass and tease are roughly equivalent. However, harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

When can harry be used instead of tease?

Although the words harry and tease have much in common, harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

Where would pester be a reasonable alternative to tease?

The synonyms pester and tease are sometimes interchangeable, but pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

When might plague be a better fit than tease?

The words plague and tease can be used in similar contexts, but plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

When is it sensible to use worry instead of tease?

The words worry and tease are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tease

Noun

The film is about the complexities of mental health, Blaze teases. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026

The professional dancers put on a dazzling performance on Sunday, pinpointing their strengths as performers and giving a tease of what fans tune in to see every Tuesday night as the main season airs. —Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026

Verb

On Friday, May 15, the park offered a look inside its new location and teased the thrilling rides to come in a video on Instagram. —Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026

The filmmaker’s post included a photo of himself with a puppet of Metal Sonic, an evil robot version of Sonic from the gaming franchise that was teased at the end of the third movie. —Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026

Noun

The one teasing bit of historical intrigue comes when Le Bail’s lawyer (Elijah Wood) insists that the rules state each clan must attack Grace and Faith using weapons from the era in which their ancestors made their satanic pact. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026

Overall, Mau took his time letting mixes build, extending a teasing, slow burn style that exemplified restraint and good taste, and always paid off when the beat dropped. —Katie Bain, Billboard, 16 Mar. 2026

Adjective

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

The conversation includes some light teasing about each other’s attachment styles — the intimate banter of close friends. —Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026

On April 30, Beyoncé updated her website to feature a photo of Destiny’s Child alongside rock legend Stevie Nicks, teasing a potential collaboration. —Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026