Reading Theme:
Tease: Definition, Usage & Examples in English (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：playfully mock (tease)
tease
/tiːz/
v.
To joke with or make fun of someone in a playful or sometimes unkind way.
playfully mock
➕
/ˈpleɪfəli mɒk/
v.
To engage in light-hearted joking or mocking, often among friends, without serious intent to harm.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Old English 'tæsan', meaning to pull apart or pluck.
💡 Mnemonic
Tease rhymes with 'ease' – think of easing apart tangles or easing into a joke.
📖 Example
At the party, my friends teased me about my new haircut, but they all said it looked great.
My friends joked about my new haircut at the party, yet they all complimented it.
🔗 Collocations
tease someone about – to mock someone regarding a specific thing
tease out – to extract information playfully
good-natured tease – friendly and harmless mocking
🔄 Synonyms
🚫 Antonyms
compliment (v.) – to praise or express admiration
flatter (v.) – to praise excessively
📖 Cultural Story
Etymologically, 'tease' derives from Old English 'tæsan', referring to pulling apart fibers like wool. It evolved to describe playful mocking, common in social bonding rituals.
Meaning 2：gently untangle (tease)
tease
/tiːz/
v.
To gently pull apart or separate something that is tangled, like hair or fibers.
gently untangle
➕
/ˈdʒentli ʌnˈtæŋɡəl/
v.
To carefully separate or pull apart something that is knotted or intertwined, such as hair or yarn.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
She carefully teased the knots out of the old wool sweater before washing it.
She meticulously separated the knots from the wool sweater prior to laundering it.
🔗 Collocations
tease out knots – to remove knots by gently pulling
tease apart fibers – to separate individual strands
tease the hair – to comb or untangle hair carefully
🔄 Synonyms
🚫 Antonyms
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