# tease

> English word · Verb · IPA /tiːz/ · frequency rank #13,253

## Definitions
1. To separate the fibres of (a fibrous material).
2. To comb (originally with teasels) so that the fibres all lie in one direction.
3. To backcomb.
4. To poke fun at, either cruelly or affectionately in a playful way.
5. To provoke or disturb; to annoy.
6. To manipulate or influence the behavior of, especially by repeated acts of irritation.
7. To entice, tempt.
8. To deliberately arouse someone sexually with no intention of satisfying that arousal.
9. To show as forthcoming, in the manner of a teaser.

## Etymology
From Middle English tesen, from Old English tǣsan (“to tease”), from Proto-West Germanic *taisijan (“to separate, tug, shred”).

## Easily confused with
- **tee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-tee)
- **tse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-tse)
- **test** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-test)
- **tens** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-tens)
- **Tees** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-tees)
- **Tess** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-tess)
- **these** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-these)
- **those** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-those)
- **trade** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-trade)
- **Texas** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-texas)
- **trash** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-trash)
- **trace** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-trace)
- **toast** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-toast)
- **tense** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-tense)
- **Tessa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-tessa)
- **Tempe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-tempe)
- **thane** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-thane)
- **terse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-terse)
- **Trask** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-trask)
- **teaser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tease-vs-teaser)

## Common misspellings (6)
`etase`, `taese`, `teaes`, `teasse`, `tesae`, `ttease`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tease