tease meaning

UK /tiːz/ US /tiz/ 1 syllable

tease (verb): annoy persistently.

tease has 12 meanings in this dictionary, as verb and noun.

tease as a verb

  1. annoy persistently
    • The children teased the boy because of his stammer

    Synonyms: badger, pester, bug, beleaguer

    Type of: torment

    Related forms: teaser

  2. harass with persistent criticism or carping
    • The children teased the new teacher
    • Don't ride me so hard over my failure
    • His fellow workers razzed him when he wore a jacket and tie

    Synonyms: razz, rag, cod, tantalize, tantalise, bait, taunt, twit, rally, ride

    Type of: mock

    Kinds: jeer, kid

    Related forms: teaser, teasing

  3. to arouse hope, desire, or curiosity without satisfying them
    • The advertisement is intended to tease the customers
    • She has a way of teasing men with her flirtatious behavior

    Type of: manipulate

  4. tear into pieces
    • tease tissue for microscopic examinations

    Type of: shred

  5. raise the nap of (fabrics)

    Type of: change surface

  6. disentangle and raise the fibers of
    • tease wool

    Synonyms: tease apart, loosen

    Type of: disentangle

    Related forms: teaser

  7. separate the fibers of
    • tease wool

    Synonyms: card

    Type of: separate

  8. mock or make fun of playfully
    • the flirting man teased the young woman

    Type of: ridicule

    Related forms: teaser

  9. ruffle (one's hair) by combing the ends towards the scalp, for a full effect

    Synonyms: fluff

    Type of: comb

    Related forms: teasing

tease as a noun

  1. someone given to teasing (as by mocking or stirring curiosity)

    Synonyms: teaser, annoyer, vexer

    Type of: unwelcome person

  2. a seductive woman who uses her sex appeal to exploit men

    Synonyms: coquette, flirt, vamp, vamper, minx, prickteaser

    Type of: woman

  3. the act of harassing someone playfully or maliciously (especially by ridicule); provoking someone with persistent annoyances
    • he ignored their teases
    • his ribbing was gentle but persistent

    Synonyms: teasing, ribbing, tantalization

    Type of: harassment

How to pronounce tease

tease is pronounced /tiːz/ in British English and /tiz/ in American English. It has 1 syllable.

Words that rhyme with tease

Scrabble score: 5 (letter breakdown)

Word lists: words starting with TE · words ending in SE · 5-letter words

More about tease on Wikipedia.