Definition of tease
teased
;teasing
transitive verb
1a : to make fun of : kidb : to disturb or annoy by persistent irritating or provoking especially in a petty or mischievous wayc : to annoy with petty persistent requests : pester; also : to obtain by repeated coaxingd : to persuade to acquiesce especially by persistent small efforts : coaxe : to manipulate or influence as if by teasing
2 : to comb (hair) by taking hold of a strand and pushing the short hairs toward the scalp with the comb
3 : to tantalize especially by arousing desire or curiosity often without intending to satisfy it
4a : to disentangle and lay parallel by combing or carding tease woolb : teasel
5 : to tear in pieces; especially : to shred (a tissue or specimen) for microscopic examination
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Examples of tease in a Sentence
He and his wife enjoy teasing each other about their different tastes in music.
The other children teased her because she was wearing braces.
He was always teased by his brother about being short.
Oh, don't get so angry. I was just teasing!
The boy's mother told him to stop teasing the dog.
Recent Examples of tease from the Web
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That month, Scarborough also teased the possibility of being Trump’s running mate, at first refusing to give a definitive answer.
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Mullins said he had been sometimes teased for working as an electrician underground because the job was easier and paid more than running coal.
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Snooki (real name: Nicole Polizzi) recently teased the series, posting photos of the cast together on her Snapchat account with the straightforward hashtag #JerseyShoreReunion.
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Iconic Perce Rock teases photographers with different patterns and colors as the sun makes its rounds ... and our exploration ended here, five lighthouses short of full circumnavigation.
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Chief Executive Elon Musk teased on his Twitter account that an announcement about the timing of the coming Model 3 sedan will come on Sunday.
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The scientists then teased out how much of those fluctuations came from water being added to or subtracted from Earth’s surface, and calculated how that affected forces deep underground where earthquakes begin, or nucleate.
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Musk also teased fans, however, by promising to reveal the car in March of next year.
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The $500 sneakers won't begin shipping until Nov. 24 but were teased this week with a picture on social media.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tease.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of tease
Middle English tesen, from Old English tǣsan; akin to Old High German zeisan to tease
Synonym Discussion of tease
tease
Definition of tease
Examples of tease in a Sentence
a pretty girl who has the reputation of being a bit of a tease
The lower rate is just a tease to attract new customers.
Recent Examples of tease from the Web
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However, her initial Instagram tease in 2015 showed a much larger range of shades, which included a few reds and even a gold.
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Davis was quick with a joke or tease, and Dalesha did not shy from a return shot.
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A tab on the Alabama-Florida State game's official website offers a cruel tease for eager fans.
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That big tease played out in 2011, when Trump promised to reveal what his private investigators had found in Hawaii about President Barack Obama’s birth certificate.
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After months of trickles and teases, the full hardware details about the first Radeon Vega graphics card are finally here.
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It’s the biggest mystery in Washington—or the biggest tease.
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After months of Twitter teases and hype, Android founder Andy Rubin has finally unveiled his latest project to the world.
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As for the playoffs themselves, save the Bulls' temporary tease against the Celtics, things were duller than Fred Hoiberg's wardrobe.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tease.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of tease
1680
TEASE Defined for English Language Learners
tease
playDefinition of tease for English Language Learners
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: to laugh at and criticize (someone) in a way that is either friendly and playful or cruel and unkind
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: to annoy or bother (an animal)
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: to make (hair) look fuller or bigger by combing it in a special way
TEASE Defined for Kids
Definition of tease for Students
teased
;teasing
1 : to make fun of … some kids tease me about my name. — Paula Danziger, Amber Brown
2 : to annoy again and again Stop teasing the dog.
teaser
nounDefinition of tease for Students
1 : the act of making fun of or repeatedly bothering a person or animal
2 : a person who makes fun of people usually in a friendly way
Medical Dictionary
tease
playMedical Definition of tease
teased
;teasing
: to tear in pieces; especially : to shred (a tissue or specimen) for microscopic examination
Learn More about tease
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See words that rhyme with tease Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tease Spanish Central: Translation of tease Nglish: Translation of tease for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tease for Arabic speakers
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