english
1
general::
verb
kidded:
He playfully teased her about it.
Simple Definitions
2
general::
tease sth out
[ M ] GET INFORMATION
1. to try to get information or understand a meaning that is hidden or not clear
• It took me a while to tease the truth out of him., tease sth out
[ M ] SEPARATE
2. to use your fingers to gradually separate and straighten hairs or threads that are stuck or twisted together
• While it was still wet, I gently teased out the tangled knots in Rosie's hair.
Cambridge-Phrasal Verbs
3
general::
tease
to laugh at someone and make jokes in order to have fun by embarrassing them, either in a friendly way or in an unkind way. In everyday English, people often say make fun of rather than tease:
• At work, we all tease her because she’s always late. • Sam’s sisters used to tease him because he was overweight.
make fun of somebody/something
to tease someone, especially in an unkind way, by laughing at something they do and making them seem stupid:
• The boys at school used to make fun of me and call me names. • Everyone made fun of the way our Maths teacher walked.
taunt
to tease someone in a very unpleasant way that shows you do not respect them, in order to make them angry or upset:
• In the end he hit the man for taunting him about his wife. • The other prisoners taunted him until he couldn’t bear it any more.
pull sb’s leg
informal to tease someone in a friendly way, by trying to make them think something is true when it is not:
• I’m not really 18. I was only pulling your leg. • I don’t believe you! You’re pulling my leg!
wind somebody up
British English informal to deliberately say something to someone, in order to see if they become annoyed or worried:
• Are you trying to wind me up? • My friends are always winding me up about it.
take the mickey (out of somebody)
British English informal to make someone look silly, often in a friendly way, for example by copying them or saying something that you do not really mean about them:
• I don’t speak like that – stop taking the mickey! • ‘You’re a genius, we all know that!’ ‘Are you taking the mickey out of me?’
Longman-Thesaurus
4
general::
verb ADV. mercilessly | a little, gently, lightly VERB + TEASE used to PREP. about His friends used to tease him about his tatty clothes. | with They teased her mercilessly with remarks about her weight. PHRASES be just/only teasing Don't get upset, I was only teasing.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary