teasing
Americannoun
-
the act of persistently annoying someone, especially playfully and with silly jokes about them.
Most holidays, we all manage to squeeze in at Grandma’s and enjoy a crazy day full of laughter, teasing, eating, and sharing.
-
the act of bullying, harassing, or tormenting someone.
Many students with learning disabilities suffer the frustration of low achievement and the teasing and poor self-image that come with it.
-
the act of purposely exciting, tantalizing, or sexually arousing someone without providing subsequent gratification.
She smiled over her shoulder at him, brown eyes shiny with teasing.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- teasingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of teasing
First recorded in 1585–95; teas(e) ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun senses; teas(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective sense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Early on, both sisters sound like typical young teens, sometimes teasing and full of fun, other times bored or frustrated.
From Literature
He had such a smug and teasing look on his face, like he knew a secret about me.
From Literature
The move, he added, is just another example of Axe’s creativity and comfort teasing themselves.
Jonah knew that they were almost at school, that the bus around them was filled with kids laughing and flirting and teasing and griping and even—here and there—singing.
From Literature
Holz said this latest research is an "exciting step" in "teasing out the role of black holes in the universe."
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
