bantering

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
bantering
    adj 1: cleverly amusing in tone; "a bantering tone"; "facetious
           remarks"; "tongue-in-cheek advice" [syn: {bantering},
           {facetious}, {tongue-in-cheek}]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Banter \Ban"ter\ (b[a^]n"t[~e]r), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Bantered}
   (b[a^]n"t[~e]rd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Bantering}.] [Prob.
   corrupted fr. F. badiner to joke, or perh. fr. E. bandy to
   beat to and fro. See {Badinage}, and cf. {Barter} fr. OF.
   barater.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. To address playful good-natured ridicule to, -- the person
      addressed, or something pertaining to him, being the
      subject of the jesting; to rally; as, he bantered me about
      my credulity.
      [1913 Webster]

            Hag-ridden by my own fancy all night, and then
            bantered on my haggard looks the next day. --W.
                                                  Irving.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To jest about; to ridicule in speaking of, as some trait,
      habit, characteristic, and the like. [Archaic]
      [1913 Webster]

            If they banter your regularity, order, and love of
            study, banter in return their neglect of them.
                                                  --Chatham.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To delude or trick, -- esp. by way of jest. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            We diverted ourselves with bantering several poor
            scholars with hopes of being at least his lordship's
            chaplain.                             --De Foe.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. To challenge or defy to a match. [Colloq. Southern and
      Western U. S.]
      [1913 Webster]
    
from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
41 Moby Thesaurus words for "bantering":
      booing, catcalling, chaffing, derisive, derisory, fleering,
      flippant, fooling, grinning, hazing, hissing, hooting, jeering,
      jesting, joking, jollying, joshing, kidding, leering, mocking,
      panning, quizzical, ragging, railing, rallying, razzing, ribbing,
      ridiculing, roasting, scoffing, smart, smart-alecky, smart-ass,
      smirking, sneering, snickering, sniggering, snorting, taunting,
      teasing, twitting

    

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