tease

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

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]

Tease tenon (Joinery), a long tenon at the top of a post to receive two beams crossing each other one above the other.

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).

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, worry

ROGET 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.