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Glite Dictionary
friendly insult

friendly insult

4.5
A joke people who know each other well say to tease without meaning harm
  • noun
  • /ˈfrɛndli ˈɪnˌsʌlt/
  • Informal
translation icon : insulto amistoso
  • She playfully threw a friendly insult at her best friend, who instantly replied with another one.

Examples

  • They are exchanging friendly insults.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • At the reunion, friends greeted each other with a friendly insult that made everyone laugh.

  • During the game, they exchanged friendly insults while trying to outdo each other.

Synonyms

ribbing
vsfriendly insult
  • Informal
5 4.4

A friendly joke that tries to make someone laugh without hurting them

is usually a single friendly tease rather than continued joking
rib
vsfriendly insult
  • Informal
4 3.6

A joking remark said in a friendly way

focuses more on teasing that aims to amuse without harm
backchat
vsfriendly insult
  • Offensive
1 8.6

Replies that are cheeky and rude, often quick and playful

is teasing without disrespect and meant to avoid hurting friends
playful jab
vsfriendly insult
  • Informal
1 4.6

A short teasing remark that makes someone laugh without hurting them

is the same friendly tease but used widely between friends

Antonyms

insult
  • Offensive
313 1.3

A rude remark or action that hurts someone's feelings

How Playful

friendly insult
  • Informal
4.5
joke
∞ 1.0
insulting remark
  • Offensive
1 3.2

Surface Forms

friendly insult singular
friendly insults plural

Morphology

friendly + insult

The meaning 'a playful or teasing remark without harm' is directly derivable from combining 'friendly' (kind, affectionate) with 'insult' (a remark that wounds); the adjective simply modifies the noun to signal a non-hostile tone. This straightforward adjective+noun composition is common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to infer the intended playful meaning.

Etymology

Friendly insult comes from the image of a friendly person saying an insult with a smile or a light touch, so it feels like a joke rather than a real attack. So, it means a small, playful or teasing remark said 'without harm' to make friends laugh.