teased; teasing
1
a
: to make fun of : kid
b
: to disturb or annoy by persistent irritating or provoking especially in a petty or mischievous way
c
: to annoy with petty persistent requests : pester
also
: to obtain by repeated coaxing
d
: to persuade to acquiesce especially by persistent small efforts : coax
e
: 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
4
a
: to disentangle and lay parallel by combing or carding
tease wool
b
: teasel
5
: to tear in pieces
especially
: to shred (a tissue or specimen) for microscopic examination
Synonyms
Examples of tease in a Sentence
Verb
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.
Noun
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 on the Web
New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2024
The news was teased at the end of the Chapter 2 Remix trailer, which also featured appearances from Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Ice Spice. 999, a number that was significant to Juice WRLD, shows up on an empty chair.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2024
Craig Grannell, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024
Or what about the spot-on intro, pre-commercial teases, and insanely bright lighting?
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tease 
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Verb
The maker’s first prototype, dubbed the Him-E, was teased in 2023.
—New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2024
The news was teased at the end of the Chapter 2 Remix trailer, which also featured appearances from Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Ice Spice. 999, a number that was significant to Juice WRLD, shows up on an empty chair.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo An Apple event staple is the famous game dev gushing over new Apple hardware, followed by a tease of upcoming high-end titles.
—Craig Grannell, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024
Or what about the spot-on intro, pre-commercial teases, and insanely bright lighting?
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tease
Dictionary Entries Near tease
Cite this Entry
“Tease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tease. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tease
1 of 2 verb
teased; teasing
1
: to untangle and lay parallel by combing or carding
tease wool
teaser
noun
tease
2 of 2 noun1
a
: the act of teasing
b
: the state of being teased
2
: one that teases
Medical Definition
tease
transitive verb
teased; teasing
: to tear in pieces
especially
: to shred (a tissue or specimen) for microscopic examination
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