😜 Making fun 📢 Creating anticipation 😉 Sexually suggestive 😏 Playfully mocking 😣 Annoying or irritating

teasing

2.7

Causing a feeling that annoys you and does not go away

adjective
/ˈtiːzɪŋ/

: molesto

Her teasing comments during the meeting made it difficult for him to focus on his presentation.

Examples

Can we be brain teasing while we're brain freezing?
So just so a few people asking how I even put them in, all I do is get one of these kind of teasing creams with the long end.
The movie's constant cliffhangers were quite teasing, leaving the audience eager for more.
The prolonged wait before the big reveal was filled with teasing hints that drove everyone crazy.

Synonyms

annoying

vsteasing

392 1.0

Making someone feel bothered or irritated

adds the idea of lasting discomfort beyond momentary bother

irritating

vsteasing

80 2.9

Making someone feel annoyed or impatient

leans toward continuous discomfort rather than brief anger

pesky

vsteasing

59 3.6

Causing small but persistent trouble or annoyance

is more about ongoing discomfort rather than only minor trouble

bothersome

vsteasing

14 3.5

Causing annoyance or trouble

emphasizes ongoing discomfort and persistent unease instead of mere trouble

vexing

vsteasing

11 7.7

Making someone feel annoyed or frustrated

focuses more on steady physical or mental discomfort rather than strong distress

galling

vsteasing

5 6.8

Making you feel annoyed because something seems unfair or hard to accept

is about steady discomfort rather than anger from unfairness

discomforting

vsteasing

3 4.2

Causing someone to feel uneasy or worried

focuses more on persistent irritation and physical discomfort instead of unease

vexatious

vsteasing

1 8.7

Causing people to feel annoyed or frustrated

is the same idea but implies ongoing mild discomfort

nettlesome

vsteasing

1 9.4

Something that makes people feel annoyed or causes small repeated problems

is closer to steady discomfort rather than formal difficulty

pestering

vsteasing

3.2

A person who annoys another person by asking again and again

is similar but stresses continuous discomfort rather than active bothering

niggly

vsteasing

8.4

A small pain or problem that keeps annoying you

is broader, covering persistent discomfort not only small irritations

pestiferous

vsteasing

Literature

9.9

Making people feel annoyed or troubled

keeps the general sense but is more neutral and modern

plaguy

vsteasing

Archaic

9.9

Causes annoyance or small trouble that makes you feel irritated

is the modern expression of the same irritating idea

plaguey

vsteasing

Archaic

9.6

Annoying and causing repeated small problems or used to complain strongly

is the plain, non intensified description of ongoing irritation

taunting

vsteasing

Offensive

5.8

Saying things that make fun of someone to upset them

is about causing steady irritation or discomfort without mocking intent

Antonyms

soothing

81 2.9

That makes pain or worry feel less strong

calming

6 2.6

An action that makes someone less angry or upset

How Annoying

teasing

2.7

irritating

80 2.9

bothersome

14 3.5

Surface Forms

teasing positive

Morphology

teasing = tease (transparent) = tease + ing

The sense 'causing irritation' is a direct descriptive use of the verb 'tease' (to annoy) plus '-ing'.

Etymology

Teasing comes from tease, which meant 'to pull' or 'to bother'. So a 'teasing' itch or sound is something that keeps gently bothering you and will not go away.