tease

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An insult or joke that's meant to be playful but can sometimes hurt someone's feelings is a tease.

When people say "you're such a tease!" they usually mean it in a lighthearted way. You know, like when a friend keeps making fun of you about something and then suddenly gets serious and says "I'm just joking." But if your friend has done that one too many times and you feel genuinely annoyed or hurt, it's not funny anymore – they're being mean instead of playful.

The verb 'tease' can also be used to describe something that attracts attention but seems hard to get. For example, a TV show might tease the audience by showing just a few seconds of an exciting scene, and then suddenly cut to black before revealing what happens next. In this case, the tease is not about hurting someone's feelings but rather about building anticipation and making people curious.

How common is "tease"?

Word tease is considered uncommon in modern English.
It appears most frequently in fiction texts and less often in other writings.

Definitions

verb

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