tease 1 of 2

noun

Definition of teasenext
1
as in tormenter
a person who causes repeated emotional pain, distress, or annoyance to another she can be a very cruel tease when she happens upon an unpopular girl who is easily hurt

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nuisance
one who is obnoxiously annoying my youngest brother is a complete tease, following me around everywhere and aping my every move

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tease

2 of 2

verb

ˈtēz How to pronounce tease (audio)
1
as in to joke
to make fun of in a good-natured way likes to tease her twin brother about his seemingly endless string of girlfriends

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to taunt
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults grew up being teased because his parents were hog farmers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb tease contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of tease are annoy, harass, harry, pester, plague, and worry. While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

In what contexts can annoy take the place of tease?

While in some cases nearly identical to tease, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

When would harass be a good substitute for tease?

In some situations, the words harass and tease are roughly equivalent. However, harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

When can harry be used instead of tease?

Although the words harry and tease have much in common, harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

Where would pester be a reasonable alternative to tease?

The synonyms pester and tease are sometimes interchangeable, but pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

When might plague be a better fit than tease?

The words plague and tease can be used in similar contexts, but plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

When is it sensible to use worry instead of tease?

The words worry and tease are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tease
Noun
Fanboy bloggers are invited, the top trailers and new footage teases are touted, and a parade of A-listers take the stage at the Caesar’s Palace Colosseum with pre-written hype sessions about their upcoming films. —Brian Welk, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2025 The tease of the return of the Punt Kick isn’t really enough. —Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
During a recent interview with Deadline, HBO’s Francesca Orsa teased that the drama is entering a new era in its upcoming season. —Lynette Rice, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2025 He’s already teased a new fashion endeavor — a brand called SKYLRK — though there’s been no product drop or launch timeline announced just yet. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tease
  1. nuisance
  2. joke
  3. taunt
  4. teaser
  5. annoyance
  6. kid
  7. pest
  8. tormentor
Noun
  • At first, the un-washable Fisk murals are a nuisance to the new mayor, but there are ways to take advantage of the situation.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2025
  • In a meeting that month which Dahl recorded, Turner referred to Williams as a nuisance who had already been dealt with.
    — Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of nuisance
Verb
  • The scene cuts to a confessional, where the Good American founder jokes that Scott should have been more careful while filming the past scene.
    — Angel Saunders, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025
  • My family often jokes that my devotion to Bruce and his music borders on obsession.
    — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of joke
Verb
  • Sometimes songs are written by fan clubs and are tailored to taunt that day’s opponent.
    — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
  • The man’s life is unraveling because of the grief that takes the form of an unhinged and unwanted houseguest – a crow – that taunts him from the shadows.
    — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of taunt
Noun
  • The video ends with a seeming teaser for the music to come for Feid: a model sits at a desk as a reggaetón beat plays from an old-school computer woth an alien on screen.
    — Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Following a pre-look teaser, the production team marked Ram Charan’s birthday with the official title reveal.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of teaser
Noun
  • John replied with annoyance, and the conversation ultimately ended with McCartney abruptly hanging up on him.
    — Kim Willis, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
  • There’s no hint of the speaker’s apparent annoyance in this delightful, whip-smart number.
    — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of annoyance
Verb
  • Huang may have been kidding, but Nvidia spent much of its event detailing just how much better its Blackwell chips are.
    — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2025
  • After a day on the slopes at Lost Trail, make your way to the tiny town of Jackson, which will make Philipsburg and Anaconda seem like large metropolitan areas (kidding, kinda).
    — Will McGough, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of kid
Noun
  • Around 2,400 toads were released into the wild in 1935 in an attempt to rein in agricultural pests.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Need odor removal, moisture control, pest control, cleaning, or ice traction control?
    — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of pest
Noun
  • Coming out a bit later than usual after some resistance from India's top-order, Kohli knew what was coming from tormentor Scott Boland.
    — Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
  • Pie is that scene from Stand by Me where Lard-Ass gets revenge on his tormentors by sparking a chain reaction of projectile-vomiting at his town’s annual pie-eating contest.
    — Chris Stanton, Vulture, 14 June 2024
Definition of tormentor

Browse Nearby Words

teas
tease
teased
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Cite this Entry

“Tease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tease. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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