• enPR: tēz, IPA: /tiːz/

tease (teases, present participle teasing; past and past participle teased)

1. To separate the fibres of a fibrous material.
2. To comb (originally with teasels) so that the fibres all lie in one direction.
3. To back-comb.
4. (transitive) To poke fun at.
   • 2008, Lich King, "Attack of the Wrath of the War of the Death of the Strike of the Sword of the Blood of the Beast ", Toxic Zombie Onslaught

     quote en

5. (transitive) To provoke or disturb; to annoy.
   • 1684, Samuel Butler (poet), Hudibras

     Not by the force of carnal reason, / But indefatigable teasing.

   • 1907, Robert William Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 24962326 ↗:

     "My tastes," he said, still smiling, "incline me to the garishly sunlit side of this planet." And, to tease her and arouse her to combat: "I prefer a farandole to a nocturne; I'd rather have a painting than an etching; Mr. Whistler bores me with his monochromatic mud; I don't like dull colours, dull sounds, dull intellects; […]."

6. (transitive) To manipulate or influence the behavior of, especially by repeated acts of irritation.
7. (transitive) To entice, tempt.
8. (transitive, informal) To show as forthcoming, in the manner of a teaser.

• Italian: cardare
• Portuguese: cardar
• Russian: чеса́ть
• Spanish: cardar, peinar

• German: kämmen, hecheln
• Italian: pettinare
• Portuguese: pentear
• Russian: начёсывать
• Spanish: peinar

• French: taquiner
• German: necken, hänseln, aufziehen, verarschen, auf den Arm nehmen
• Italian: burlarsi di
• Portuguese: caçoar, tirar sarro, zombar
• Russian: дразни́ть
• Spanish: burlarse de, molestar, tomar el pelo, embromar, mofarse, pitorrearse, recochinearse, vacilar

• German: aufziehen, provozieren
• Italian: provocare, stuzzicare
• Portuguese: provocar, irritar, aborrecer, implicar
• Russian: провоци́ровать
• Spanish: chinchar, provocar, alborotar, embromar

• German: verführen, reizen
• Italian: tentare, sedurre
• Portuguese: tentar, seduzir, provocar
• Russian: мани́ть
• Spanish: tentar, provocar, incitar

tease (plural teases)

1. One who teases.
2. A single act of teasing.
3. One who deliberately arouses others (usually men) sexually with no intention of satisfying that arousal.

   Synonyms: cock tease, cocktease, cockteaser, prickteaser