banter
/ˈbantə
/noun [mass noun]
The playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks: there was much good-natured banter...
- The verbal sparring and playful banter with her is really starting to ratchet up some interesting tension.
- After spending time in friendly, confidence-winning banter, Dave made it clear he had more on his mind.
- I missed my Dad a lot in the Philippines, especially our playful banter.
Synonyms
repartee, raillery, ripostes, sallies, swordplay, quips, wisecracks, crosstalk, wordplay;
badinage, witty conversation, witty remarks, witticism(s), joking, jesting, jocularity, drollery;
French bons mots
informal kidding, ribbing, joshing
British informal bants
rare persiflage
verb [no object]
Exchange remarks in a good-humoured teasing way: the men bantered with the waitresses (as adjective bantering) a bantering tone...
- Andrei teases and banters with just about every word, although his humor isn't odd and deadpan like Anikei's - it's lighter and brighter and more relaxed.
- The family wants to thank everyone for their visits and support, as well as the nurses with whom he joked and bantered.
- Chip's tone was bantering, but the words made their point.
Synonyms
joke, jest, pun, sally, quip
informal josh, wisecrack
Derivatives
banterer
/ noun ...- Ivey's gradual meltdown from confident banterer to disheveled mutterer is valiantly limned, layered with dozens of revealing looks signaling fear and frustration.
- Immediately, the room banterers snidely remarked on my effort to be appear intelligent, of having way too much time on my hands, etc.
- The players were surprisingly down-to-earth away from the table and it was interesting that a couple of the loudest banterers at the table actually were very friendly and pretty quiet in real life.
banteringly
- To carry this on the proposed trip was too great a risk, and I was asked banteringly to act as banker.
- She banteringly replied that she did not believe him and dared him to prove the truth of his assertion.
- They often speak banteringly, but they have the credentials and the clout to back what they say.
Origin
Late 17th century: of unknown origin.