tease
gb/tˈiz/ us/tˈiz/
B1
English
~ 1200
ugrat, cukkol, hiteget, felcsigáz, tupíroz, cukkolós alak, hitegető
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to tease [someone] about [something]
She likes to tease her brother about his messy hair.
Szereti ugratni a testvérét a kócos haja miatt.
Stop teasing me about my accent!
Ne cukkolj már az akcentusom miatt!
They teased him until he blushed.
Learner examples
I tease my friend about her shoes.
A cipője miatt ugratom a barátnőmet.
He teases his sister every day.
Mindennap ugratja a húgát.
Please don't tease me about my name.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'tease' with 'bully'. 'Tease' can be friendly or light, while 'bully' is always harmful.
Meaning
Make fun of playfully
Collocations
tease gently
|tease mercilessly
|tease about
Synonyms
mock (Often harsher and less friendly than 'tease'.)
|
kid (Informal; very similar meaning but lighter tone.)
Antonyms
compliment (Praising instead of making fun of.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|relationships
|communication
Definition
To say or do things to make someone laugh or feel annoyed, usually in a friendly way.
To make fun of or provoke someone in a playful or slightly irritating way.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
to tease [someone] with [something]
The commercial teased the new product without revealing details.
A reklám felcsigázta az érdeklődést az új termék iránt, de nem árult el részleteket.
She teased him with the smell of cookies but didn’t give him any.
A sütik illatával hitegette, de egyet sem adott neki.
The trailer teased the audience with action scenes.
Learner examples
The shop teased customers with a big sale sign.
Az üzlet egy nagy leárazást hirdető táblával hitegette a vásárlókat.
He teased me with candy but gave me none.
Cukorkával hitegetett, de egyet sem adott.
The movie teaser teased fans with short clips.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this meaning with 'playfully mock'; here it is about tempting and not giving.
Meaning
Tempt but withhold
Collocations
tease with an offer
|tease with a glimpse
Synonyms
taunt (More hostile and provoking than 'tease' in this sense.)
|
entice (Focuses on attracting, not necessarily withholding.)
Antonyms
fulfill (To actually provide what was promised or suggested.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
Definition
To make someone want something by showing it but not giving it.
To excite someone's interest or desire by offering or suggesting something desirable and then not giving it.
VERB
B2
3
tupíroz
B2
Usage pattern:
to tease [someone's] hair
The stylist teased her hair for the photo shoot.
A stylist feltupírozta a haját a fotózásra.
She teased her bangs to add height.
Feltupírozta a frufruját, hogy magasabbra álljon.
He teased the model’s hair before the runway show.
Learner examples
I tease my hair for a party.
Bulira feltupírozom a hajam.
She teased her hair to make it big.
Feltupírozta a haját, hogy dúsabb legyen.
The stylist teased my hair before the wedding.
Meaning
Backcomb hair for volume
Collocations
tease hair
|tease bangs
Synonyms
backcomb (Technical term for this hairstyling method.)
Antonyms
smooth (To make hair flat rather than voluminous.)
Themes
fashion
|daily life
|daily_life
|clothing
Definition
To brush hair the wrong way to make it look bigger.
To comb hair toward the scalp to create volume and texture.
NOUN
B2
4
hitegető
B2
He’s such a tease when it comes to sharing his cooking secrets.
Igazi cukkolós alak, ha a főzési titkai megosztásáról van szó.
She was called a tease for flirting but never dating anyone.
Hitegetőnek nevezték, mert flörtölt, de soha senkivel nem randizott.
Don’t be such a tease—show us the rest!
Learner examples
My friend is a tease about his new car.
A barátom igazi cukkolós alak az új autójával kapcsolatban.
She is a tease with her jokes.
A vicceivel folyton cukkolja az embert.
He is a tease when he talks about food.
Meaning
Person who mocks or provokes
Collocations
a bit of a tease
|such a tease
Synonyms
provoker (More formal; lacks playful connotation.)
Antonyms
giver (Someone who provides rather than withholds.)
Themes
relationships
|emotions
|communication
Definition
Someone who makes fun of people or makes them want something but doesn’t give it.
A person who playfully mocks others, or who provokes sexual or emotional interest without intending to satisfy it.
Grammar
Dictionary form
tease
IPA
GB/tˈiz/
US/tˈiz/
Syllables & stress
tease (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (tease)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: tease
- 3rd Person Singular: teases
- Present Participle: teasing
- Past: teased
Word family
Forms
teases
verb
teasing
verb
teased
verb
Core family
teaser
noun
Related words
teasingly
adverb
Expressions
be such a tease
1/bˈi sˈʌt͡ʃ ə tˈiz/
idiom
informal
Provoke without satisfying
To act in a way that makes people want something but not give it to them.
Examples
- Come on, don’t be such a tease—just tell us what happened!
- You’re such a tease, showing us that cake and not sharing.
tease apart
1/tˈiz əpˈɑɹt/
phrasal verb
Separate elements from complex whole
To find and understand the different parts of something complicated.
Examples
- Scientists are trying to tease apart the factors that cause climate change.
- It’s hard to tease apart fact from fiction in his story.
tease out
1/tˈiz ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Carefully extract something
To slowly and carefully get information or separate something from a group or mix.
Examples
- The journalist managed to tease out the truth from the politician.
- She teased out the knot in the rope.