Synonyms:
tease, teasing, ribbing, tantalization
Meaning: 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"
Usage examples
But, mamma, I wasn't teasing her, not a bit; was I, Elsie?
"You are teasing me--that's all--because you think I am not happy!"
"I've been a lookin' for you over," said Sammy, a teasing light in her eyes.
I guess you'll own up, now, that the water can get through the gate." He laughed in his teasing way.
There was no time for teasing, however, as the first guest arrived while they were still in the blue room.
Then I made some teasing remark about her love-letters--just for a joke, you know. Miriam looked at me with an odd little smile and said quickly:
And they tried to rag me in the smoking-room about not being able to hit a bird at five yards, a sort of bovine ragging that suggested cows buzzing round a gadfly and thinking they were teasing it.
The teasing light vanished as the young woman placed her hands on the powerful shoulders of the giant, and as she felt the play of the swelling muscles that swung her to the ground so easily, her face flushed with admiration.
There was a row of customers along the soda-water counter, and through the open windows came scraps of conversation: two boys were teasing each other about a girl; a group of men were talking auctions, options, prices, real estate.