tease

/tiːz/ (bre, ipa) · /tiːz/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtēz/ (ame, mw)

tease — verb

  • teasepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • teaseshe / she / it
  • teasedpast simple
  • teasing-ing form

1. to joke about someone or keep bothering them in a way that amuses you or gets un

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

to joke about someone or keep bothering them in a way that amuses you or gets under their skin.

例句

Otis kept teasing his sister about the glitter on her nose.

tease + someone + about + topic

During lunch, the older boys teased Haruto for bringing seaweed rice balls.

同義詞
  • mock

    usually harsher and more openly unkind

  • kid

    more informal and usually clearly friendly

  • needle

    suggests sharper, repeated comments meant to irritate

反義詞
  • comfort

    to make someone feel less upset instead of provoking them

  • praise

    to speak well of someone rather than making fun of them

文法句型

tease + someone

tease + someone + about + topic

tease + someone + by + -ing

用法筆記

Usually takes a person as its direct object. 'About + topic' names what the joke is about, while 'by + -ing' names the action used to annoy or provoke the person. The tone can be warm and playful or genuinely hurtful, depending on the situation.

常見錯誤

❌They teased at him during lunch.
✅They teased him during lunch.
💡This sense takes a direct object without 'at'.
❌Her cousins teased on her new shoes.
✅Her cousins teased her about her new shoes.
💡Use 'about' before the topic, not before the person.

2. to reveal only a small, exciting part of something so people will want to see or

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to reveal only a small, exciting part of something so people will want to see or hear the rest later.

例句

The band teased one new song on TikTok before the album launch.

tease + content before a later release

A short poster teased the surprise guest for next week's show.

同義詞
  • preview

    more neutral; it simply shows something in advance

  • hint at

    weaker; may involve only indirect suggestion

  • tantalize

    stronger and more emotional; stresses frustrated desire

反義詞
  • reveal

    to show the full information openly

  • spoil

    to give away too much and ruin the surprise

文法句型

tease + product / song / episode

tease + audience + with + preview

用法筆記

Common in entertainment, marketing, and social media. The object can be the thing being previewed ('tease a song') or the audience being tempted ('tease fans with a photo').

常見錯誤

❌The studio teased about the sequel online.
✅The studio teased the sequel online with a ten-second clip.
💡This sense usually takes the thing or audience as the object, not 'tease about'.
❌The post teased the whole plot in detail.
✅The post only teased the film with two dramatic images.
💡Teasing gives only a taste, not the full content.

3. to push sections of hair back toward the roots with a comb so the style looks fu

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

to push sections of hair back toward the roots with a comb so the style looks fuller.

例句

Before the photo shoot, the stylist teased Inês's hair at the crown.

tease + hair + at the crown / roots

The makeup artist teased a few sections of hair to make the bun look fuller.

同義詞
  • backcomb

    the standard neutral styling term

  • rat

    informal hairdressing term

反義詞
  • smooth

    to make hair lie flatter and neater

  • flatten

    to remove volume instead of creating it

文法句型

tease + hair

tease + section / roots / crown

用法筆記

Used mainly in beauty and hairdressing contexts. The object is usually hair, roots, the crown, or a section of hair. In everyday speech, many speakers also say 'backcomb'.

常見錯誤

❌She teased her hair flat before the wedding.
✅She teased her hair to give it more volume before the wedding.
💡This action makes hair look bigger, not flatter.
❌The stylist teased the braid with his fingers.
✅The stylist teased the hair with a comb before making the braid.
💡This sense refers to combing hair back toward the roots.

tease — noun