tease

Definition

  • verb: to laugh at and criticize (someone) in a way that is either friendly and playful or cruel and unkind
  • verb: to disentangle and lay parallel by combing or carding
  • usually singular
  • synonyms: plague, vex, tantalize

Examples

  • He and his wife enjoy 'teasing' each other about their different tastes in music.

  • She carefully 'teased' the roots of the young plant 'out' of the soil.

  • There was some affectionate 'teasing' about the way he was dressed.

Movie clips

Movie quotes

  • (..) I have enough money to last us for the rest of our lives Look. (gasps) Frank, stop teasing me. You're Frank Conners. You're Frank Conners, and you're years old and... (whispering): Brenda... (..)
    2002 Catch Me If You Can
  • (..) Who's there? -To ask you how you died. lt was dreadful. lt happened right here in this very cubicle. l'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. l was crying, and then l heard somebody come in. -Who was it, Myrtle? -l don't know. l was distraught! But they said something funny, (..)
    2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  • (..) without fail, it looks absolutely exhausting, darling. Oh, it's nothing. Then I don't know why it takes so long. Oh, darling. I'm just teasing. All right...so, mother. As you know tomorrow is a very big day. Rapunzel look in that mirror. You know what I see? I see a strong, confident, beautiful young lady. Oh look, you're here too. I'm just teasing, stop taking everything so seriously. Okay, so mother. As I was saying, tomorrow... Rapunzel, mother's feeling a little run down. Would you sing for me, dear? -Then we'll talk. (..)
    2010 Tangled