1. The act of harassing someone playfully or maliciously (especially by ridicule); provoking someone with persistent annoyances
   "His gentle teasing made her smile";
   - tease, ribbing, tantalization, wind-up [Brit, informal], tantalisation [Brit]
    
2. Playful vexation
   "the parody was just a form of teasing"
    
3. The act of using a comb to remove tangles from hair
   "Teasing the hair at the crown added volume to the hairstyle";
   - comb-out

1. Playfully vexing (especially by ridicule)
   "his face wore a somewhat teasing almost impertinent air";
   - mocking, quizzical
    
2. Arousing sexual desire without intending to satisfy it
   "her lazy teasing smile"
    
3. Causing irritation or annoyance
   "a teasing and persistent thought annoyed him";
   - annoying, bothersome, galling, irritating, nettlesome, pesky [informal], pestering, pestiferous, plaguy, plaguey, vexatious, vexing, irksome, niggly, dratted [informal], aggravating

1. Mock or make fun of playfully
   "the flirting man teased the young woman";
   - jape
    
2. Deliberately provoke by mocking or poking fun
   "The children teased the new teacher";
   - razz [N. Amer, informal], rag, cod [Brit, informal], bait, taunt, twit [informal], rally, ride [N. Amer, informal], wind up [Brit, informal]
    
3. Annoy persistently
   "The children teased the boy because of his stammer";
   - badger, pester, bug, beleaguer
    
4. To arouse hope, desire, or curiosity without satisfying them
   "She has a way of teasing men with her flirtatious behaviour"; "The advertisement is intended to tease the customers"
    
5. Ruffle (one's hair) by combing the ends towards the scalp, for a full effect
   "She teased her hair to create more volume";
   - fluff
    
6. Disentangle and raise the fibers of
   "tease wool"; "tease apart wool";
   - tease apart, loosen
    
7. Raise the nap of (fabrics)
   "The worker teased the wool to create a softer texture"
    
8. Tear into pieces
   "tease tissue for microscopic examinations"

Derived forms: teasings

See also: disagreeable, ludic [formal], playful, seductive

Type of: bedevil, bemock [archaic], blackguard, caper [informal], change surface, comb, comb out, combing, control, crucify, disentangle, dun, frolic, frustrate, gambol, guy, harassment, jest at, keep in line, laugh at, make fun of, manipulate, mock, molestation, play, poke fun, rag, rib [informal], ridicule, rip up, roast [informal], romp, shred, straighten out, tear up, torment, unsnarl

Encyclopedia: Teasing