Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun tease

3 senses of tease

Sense 1
tease, teaser, annoyer, vexer -- (someone given to teasing (as by mocking or stirring curiosity))
       => unwelcome person, persona non grata -- (a person who for some reason is not wanted or welcome)

Sense 2
coquette, flirt, vamp, vamper, minx, tease, prickteaser -- (a seductive woman who uses her sex appeal to exploit men)
       => woman, adult female -- (an adult female person (as opposed to a man); "the woman kept house while the man hunted")

Sense 3
tease, teasing, ribbing, tantalization -- (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")
       => harassment, molestation -- (the act of tormenting by continued persistent attacks and criticism)

Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb tease

9 senses of tease

Sense 1
tease, badger, pester, bug, beleaguer -- (annoy persistently; "The children teased the boy because of his stammer")
       => torment, rag, bedevil, crucify, dun, frustrate -- (treat cruelly; "The children tormented the stuttering teacher")

Sense 2
tease, razz, rag, cod, tantalize, tantalise, bait, taunt, twit, rally, ride -- (harass with persistent criticism or carping; "The children teased the new teacher"; "Don't ride me so hard over my failure"; "His fellow workers razzed him when he wore a jacket and tie")
       => mock, bemock -- (treat with contempt; "The new constitution mocks all democratic principles")

Sense 3
tease -- (to arouse hope, desire, or curiosity without satisfying them; "The advertisement is intended to tease the customers"; "She has a way of teasing men with her flirtatious behavior")
       => manipulate, keep in line, control -- (control (others or oneself) or influence skillfully, usually to one's advantage; "She manipulates her boss"; "She is a very controlling mother and doesn't let her children grow up"; "The teacher knew how to keep the class in line"; "she keeps in line")

Sense 4
tease -- (tear into pieces; "tease tissue for microscopic examinations")
       => shred, tear up, rip up -- (tear into shreds)

Sense 5
tease -- (raise the nap of (fabrics))
       => change surface -- (undergo or cause to undergo a change in the surface)

Sense 6
tease, tease apart, loosen -- (disentangle and raise the fibers of; "tease wool")
       => disentangle, unsnarl, straighten out -- (extricate from entanglement; "Can you disentangle the cord?")

Sense 7
tease, card -- (separate the fibers of; "tease wool")
       => separate -- (divide into components or constituents; "Separate the wheat from the chaff")

Sense 8
tease -- (mock or make fun of playfully; "the flirting man teased the young woman")
       => ridicule, roast, guy, blackguard, laugh at, jest at, rib, make fun, poke fun -- (subject to laughter or ridicule; "The satirists ridiculed the plans for a new opera house"; "The students poked fun at the inexperienced teacher"; "His former students roasted the professor at his 60th birthday")

Sense 9
tease, fluff -- (ruffle (one's hair) by combing the ends towards the scalp, for a full effect)
       => comb, comb out, disentangle -- (smoothen and neaten with or as with a comb; "comb your hair before dinner"; "comb the wool")