banter

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: ban=ter

CIDE DICTIONARY

banter, v. t. [Prob. corrupted fr. F. badiner to joke, or perh. fr. E. bandy to beat to and fro. See Badinage, and cf. Barter fr. OF. barater.].

•  To address playful good-natured ridicule to, -- the person addressed, or something pertaining to him, being the subject of the jesting; to rally; as, he bantered me about my credulity.  [1913 Webster]

  "Hag-ridden by my own fancy all night, and then bantered on my haggard looks the next day."  [1913 Webster]
•  To jest about; to ridicule in speaking of, as some trait, habit, characteristic, and the like.  [1913 Webster]

  "If they banter your regularity, order, and love of study, banter in return their neglect of them."  [1913 Webster]
•  To delude or trick, -- esp. by way of jest.  [1913 Webster]

  "We diverted ourselves with bantering several poor scholars with hopes of being at least his lordship's chaplain."  [1913 Webster]
•  To challenge or defy to a match.  [1913 Webster]

banter, n. 

 The act of bantering; joking or jesting; humorous or good-humored raillery; pleasantry.  [1913 Webster]
"Part banter, part affection."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

banter, n. & v.
--n. good-humoured teasing.
--v.
1 tr. ridicule in a good-humoured way.
2 intr. talk humorously or teasingly.

Derivative

banterer n.

Etymology

17th c.: orig. unkn.

THESAURUS

banter

backchat, badinage, beard, blandish, blarney, booing, brave, buffoonery, cajole, catcalling, chaff, chaffing, challenge, chitchat, clownishness, con, dare, defy, deride, derision, exchange, face, fleering, flippancy, fool, foolery, fooling, front, fun, give-and-take, gossip, gossipry, grinning, guy, harlequinade, haze, hissing, hooting, horseplay, jape, jeering, jest, jesting, jive, joke, joking, jolly, josh, joshing, kid, kidding, leering, levity, make fun of, make merry with, mock, mockery, monkeyshines, needle, outface, panning, persiflage, pleasantry, poke fun at, put on, quiz, rag, ragging, raillery, rally, rallying, razz, razzing, repartee, rib, ribbing, ride, ridicule, roast, roasting, satirize, scoffing, shenanigans, small talk, smart-aleckiness, smartness, smirking, sneering, snickering, sniggering, snorting, soft-soap, sweet-talk, taunt, taunting, tease, teasing, tomfoolery, twit, twitting, venture, wheedle

ROGET THESAURUS

banter

Wit

N wit, humor, wittiness, sense of humor, attic wit, attic salt, atticism, salt, esprit, point, fancy, whim, drollery, pleasantry, farce, buffoonery, fooling, tomfoolery, shenanigan, harlequinade, broad farce, broad humor, fun, espieglerie, vis comica, jocularity, jocosity, jocoseness, facetiousness, waggery, waggishness, whimsicality, comicality, banter, badinage, retort, repartee, smartness, ready wit, quid- pro-quo, ridicule, jest, joke, jape, jibe, facetiae, levity, quips and cranks, capital joke, canorae nugae, standing jest, standing joke, private joke, conceit, quip, quirk, crank, quiddity, concetto, plaisanterie, brilliant idea, merry thought, bright thought, happy thought, sally, flash of wit, flash of merriment, scintillation, mot, mot pour rire, witticism, smart saying, bon-mot, jeu d'esprit, epigram, jest book, dry joke, quodlibet, cream of the jest, word-play, jeu de mots, play of words, play upon words, pun, punning, double entente, double entendre, quibble, verbal quibble, conundrum, anagram, acrostic, double acrostic, trifling, idle conceit, turlupinade, old joke, tired joke, flat joke, Joe Miller, witty, attic, quick-witted, nimble-witted, smart, jocular, jocose, humorous, facetious, waggish, whimsical, kidding, joking, puckish, playful, merry and wise, pleasant, sprightly, light, spirituel, sparkling, epigrammatic, full of point, ben trovato, comic, zany, madcap, funny, amusing, jokingly, in joke, in jest, in sport, in play, adhibenda est in jocando moderatio, gentle dullness ever loves a joke, leave this keen encounter of our wits, just joking, just kidding, surely you jest!.

VB joke, jest, crack a joke, make a joke, jape, cut jokes, perpetrate a joke, pun, perpetrate a pun, make fun of, make merry with, kid, kid around, fool around, set the table in a roar, retort, banter, ridentem dicere verum, joke at one's expense, take in jest, bomb, fall flat, go over like a lead balloon.

Ridicule

N ridicule, derision, sardonic smile, sardonic grin, irrision, scoffing, mockery, quiz, banter, irony, persiflage, raillery, chaff, badinage, quizzing, asteism, squib, satire, skit, quip, quib, grin, parody, burlesque, travesty, travestie, farce, caricature, buffoonery, practical joke, horseplay, scorn, contempt, derisory, derisive, mock, mocking, sarcastic, ironic, ironical, quizzical, burlesque, Hudibrastic, scurrilous, in 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.