1.
[syn: bantering, facetious, tongue-in-cheek]
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]
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]
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