tease
tease Lexical Profile
tease Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To make fun of or attempt to provoke someone in a playful, mocking, or petty way.
"His classmates used to tease him about his regional accent until he won the school debate championship."
To tempt or arouse desire and curiosity in someone without intending to satisfy it immediately.
"The technology company continued to tease consumers with vague hints about the new smartphone's features."
To gently pull apart, disentangle, or comb fibers, wool, or hair (often to create volume by backcombing).
"The stylist used a fine-toothed comb to tease the crown of her hair for the vintage theatrical costume."
• noun
A person who playfully mocks, provokes, or tempts others without intending to satisfy them.
"Her older brother was a relentless tease who loved hiding her favorite books just before school."
An act of playful mockery, or a brief promotional preview intended to arouse curiosity.
"The director released a thirty-second tease of the upcoming documentary to generate excitement among audiences."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'tease' with its homophones 'teas' (plural of the beverage 'tea') and 'tees' (plural of 'tee', a golf peg or T-shirt). Additionally, the phrasal verb 'tease out' is used figuratively in academic and analytical contexts to mean extracting or uncovering subtle details from complex information.
• Rhymes for tease
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Old English 'tæsan', meaning to pluck, pull apart, or card fibers such as wool or flax. The figurative sense of annoying or provoking someone developed in the 17th century from the metaphor of irritating or scratching the skin like a thorny teasel plant used in textile processing.