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WORDNET DICTIONARY
CIDE DICTIONARY
OXFORD DICTIONARY
THESAURUS
ROGET THESAURUS
tease
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun tease has 3 senses
- tease(n = noun.person) annoyer, teaser, vexer - someone given to teasing (as by mocking or stirring curiosity); Array is a kind of persona non grata, unwelcome person
- tease(n = noun.person) coquette, flirt, minx, prickteaser, vamp, vamper - a seductive woman who uses her sex appeal to exploit men; Array is a kind of adult female, woman
- tease(n = noun.act) ribbing, tantalization, teasing - the act of harassing someone playfully or maliciously (especially by ridicule); provoking someone with persistent annoyances; "he ignored their teases"; "his ribbing was gentle but persistent" is a kind of harassment, molestation
Derived forms verb tease2, verb tease1
Derived forms verb tease8, verb tease3
Derived forms verb tease2, verb tease1
Verb tease has 9 senses
- tease(v = verb.emotion) badger, beleaguer, bug, pester - annoy persistently; "The children teased the boy because of his stammer" is one way to bedevil, crucify, dun, frustrate, rag, torment
- tease(v = verb.communication) bait, cod, rag, rally, razz, ride, tantalise, tantalize, taunt, twit - harass with persistent criticism or carping; "The children teased the new teacher"; "Don't ride me so hard over my failure"; "His fellow workers razzed him when he wore a jacket and tie" is one way to bemock, mock
- tease(v = verb.emotion) Array - to arouse hope, desire, or curiosity without satisfying them; "The advertisement is intended to tease the customers"; "She has a way of teasing men with her flirtatious behavior" is one way to control, keep in line, manipulate
- tease(v = verb.contact) Array - tear into pieces; "tease tissue for microscopic examinations" is one way to rip up, shred, tear up
- tease(v = verb.contact) Array - raise the nap of (fabrics); Array is one way to change surface
- tease(v = verb.contact) loosen, tease apart - disentangle and raise the fibers of; "tease wool" is one way to disentangle, straighten out, unsnarl
- tease(v = verb.contact) card - separate the fibers of; "tease wool" is one way to separate
- tease(v = verb.communication) Array - mock or make fun of playfully; "the flirting man teased the young woman" is one way to blackguard, guy, jest at, laugh at, make fun, poke fun, rib, ridicule, roast
- tease(v = verb.body) fluff - ruffle (one's hair) by combing the ends towards the scalp, for a full effect; Array is one way to comb, comb out, disentangle
Derived forms noun tease3, noun tease1, noun teaser2
Sample sentence:
Sam cannot tease Sue
Derived forms noun tease3, noun tease1, noun teaser2, noun teasing1
Sample sentence:
Somebody ----s somebody
Derived form noun tease2
Sample sentence:
Somebody ----s somebody
Sample sentence:
Somebody ----s something
Sample sentence:
Somebody ----s something
Derived forms noun teaser7, noun teaser1
Sample sentence:
Somebody ----s something
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Derived forms noun tease2, noun teaser2
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody
Derived form noun teasing3
Sample sentence:
They tease their hair
CIDE DICTIONARY
tease, v. t. [AS. tsan to pluck, tease; akin to OD. teesen, MHG. zeisen, Dan. tæse, tæsse. √58. Cf. Touse.].
- To comb or card, as wool or flax. Wordsworth. [1913 Webster]
- To stratch, as cloth, for the purpose of raising a nap; teasel. [1913 Webster]
- To tear or separate into minute shreds, as with needles or similar instruments. [1913 Webster]
- To vex with importunity or impertinence; to harass, annoy, disturb, or irritate by petty requests, or by jests and raillery; to plague. Cowper. [1913 Webster]"He . . . suffered them to tease him into acts directly opposed to his strongest inclinations." [1913 Webster]"Not by the force of carnal reason,
But indefatigable teasing." [1913 Webster]"In disappointments, where the affections have been strongly placed, and the expectations sanguine, particularly where the agency of others is concerned, sorrow may degenerate into vexation and chagrin." [1913 Webster]
Syn. -- To vex; harass: annoy; disturb; irritate; plague; torment; mortify; tantalize; chagrin.
tease, n.
One who teases or plagues. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
tease, v. & n.
--v.tr. (also absol.)
1 a make fun of (a person or animal) playfully or unkindly or annoyingly. b tempt or allure, esp. sexually, while refusing to satisfy the desire aroused.
2 pick (wool, hair, etc.) into separate fibres.
3 dress (cloth) esp. with teasels.
--n.
1 colloq. a person fond of teasing.
2 an instance of teasing (it was only a tease).
--v.tr. (also absol.)
1 a make fun of (a person or animal) playfully or unkindly or annoyingly. b tempt or allure, esp. sexually, while refusing to satisfy the desire aroused.
2 pick (wool, hair, etc.) into separate fibres.
3 dress (cloth) esp. with teasels.
--n.
1 colloq. a person fond of teasing.
2 an instance of teasing (it was only a tease).
Idiom
tease out separate by disentangling.
Derivative
teasingly adv.
Etymology
OE t{aelig}san f. WG
THESAURUS
tease
Artful Dodger, Casanova, Don Juan, Machiavel, Machiavelli, Machiavellian, actor, aggravate, annoy, annoyer, appeal, apply pressure, attract, badger, badgerer, baffle, bafflement, bait, balk, bamboozler, banter, be at, be attractive, beckon, bedevil, befuddler, beguiler, beleaguer, beset, besiege, betrayed hope, bilk, blandish, blasted expectation, blighted hope, blow, bother, bristle, brown off, buffet, bug, bully, bullyrag, burn up, buttonhole, cajole, cast down, chaff, charmer, chivy, coax, comedown, counterfeiter, cross, cruel disappointment, dash, dashed hope, deceiver, defeat, defeat expectation, deluder, devil, disappoint, disappointment, discomfiture, discompose, disillusion, disillusionment, dissatisfaction, dissatisfy, dissembler, dissimulator, distemper, disturb, dodger, dog, double-dealer, drive mad, dun, duper, enchanter, engage, entrancer, exasperate, exercise, exert pressure, failure, faker, fallen countenance, fash, fetch, fiasco, fizzle, foil, foiling, fooler, forger, forlorn hope, frustrate, frustration, gay deceiver, get, gnaw, goad, gripe, guy, harass, harasser, harrier, harry, haze, heckle, heckler, hector, hoaxer, hope deferred, hound, hypnotizer, importune, interest, invite, irk, irritate, jape, jest, jilt, jilter, jive, joke, joker, jokester, jolly, josh, kid, kidder, leg-puller, let down, letdown, manipulate, mesmerizer, miff, mirage, misleader, molest, nag, nag at, needle, nettle, nudnik, nudzh, peeve, persecute, persecutor, pest, pester, pesterer, pick on, pique, plagiarist, plagiarizer, plague, plaguer, playactor, pluck the beard, ply, pother, practical joker, press, pressure, provoke, push, put on, rag, ragger, rally, razz, rib, ride, rile, roast, roil, role-player, ruffle, sadist, seducer, setback, sore disappointment, spoofer, summon, tantalization, tantalize, taunt, teaser, tempt, thwart, tickle, titillate, torment, tormentor, try the patience, tweak the nose, twit, urge, vex, wheedle, whet the appetite, winkle, work, work on, worryROGET THESAURUS
tease
Painfulness
VB cause pain, occasion pain, give pain, bring pain, induce pain, produce pain, create pain, inflict pain, pain, hurt, wound, pinch, prick, gripe, pierce, lancinate, cut, hurt the feelings, wound the feelings, grate upon the feelings, grate upon the nerves, jar upon the feelings, wring the heart, pierce the heart, lacerate the heart, break the heart, rend the heart, make the heart bleed, tear the heart strings, rend the heart strings, draw tears from the eyes, sadden, make unhappy, plunge into sorrow, grieve, fash, afflict, distress, cut up, cut to the heart, displease, annoy, incommode, discompose, trouble, disquiet, faze, feaze, feeze, disturb, cross, perplex, molest, tease, tire, irk, vex, mortify, wherret, worry, plague, bother, pester, bore, pother, harass, harry, badger, heckle, bait, beset, infest, persecute, importune, wring, harrow, torment, torture, bullyrag, put to the rack, put to the question, break on the wheel, rack, scarify, cruciate, crucify, convulse, agonize, barb the dart, plant a dagger in the breast, plant a thorn in one's side, irritate, provoke, sting, nettle, try the patience, pique, fret, rile, tweak the nose, chafe, gall, sting to the quick, wound to the quick, cut to the quick, aggrieve, affront, enchafe, enrage, ruffle, sour the temper, give offense, maltreat, bite, snap at, assail, smite, sicken, disgust, revolt, nauseate, disenchant, repel, offend, shock, stink in the nostrils, go against the stomach, turn the stomach, make one sick, set the teeth on edge, go against the grain, grate on the ear, stick in one's throat, stick in one's gizzard, rankle, gnaw, corrode, horrify, appal, appall, freeze the blood, make the flesh creep, make the hair stand on end, make the blood curdle, make the blood run cold, make one shudder, haunt the memory, weigh on the heart, prey on the heart, weigh on the mind, prey on the mind, weigh on the spirits, prey on the spirits, bring one's gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, add a nail to one's coffin.Aggravation
VB aggravate, render worse, heighten, embitter, sour, exacerbate, exasperate, envenom, enrage, provoke, tease, add fuel to the fire, add fuel to the flame, fan the flame, go from bad to worse.Ridicule
VB ridicule, deride, mock, taunt, snigger, laugh in one's sleeve, tease, badinage, banter, rally, chaff, joke, twit, quiz, roast, haze, tehee, fleer, show up, play upon, play tricks upon, fool to the top of one's bent, laugh at, grin at, smile at, poke fun at, satirize, parody, caricature, burlesque, travesty, turn into ridicule, make merry with, make fun of, make game of, make a fool of, make an April fool of, rally, scoff, raise a laugh, play the fool, make a fool of oneself.Malevolence
VB be malevolent, bear spleen, harbor spleen, bear a grudge, harbor a grudge, bear malice, betray the cloven foot, show the cloven foot, hurt, annoy, injure, harm, wrong, do harm to, do an ill office to, outrage, disoblige, malign, plant a thorn in the breast, molest, worry, harass, haunt, harry, bait, tease, throw stones at, play the devil with, hunt down, dragoon, hound, persecute, oppress, grind, maltreat, illtreat, ill-use, wreak one's malice on, do one's worst, break a butterfly on the wheel, dip one's hands in blood, imbrue one's hands in blood, have no mercy.
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