banter
English · Thesaurus
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banter
- /ˈbæntə/ UK
- /ˈbæntɚ/ Canada, US
- [ˈbɛən.tɚ] Canada, US
- /ˈbæntə/ Australia
- [ˈbeːn.tɐ] Australia
Rhymes with -æntə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
1670s as verb, 1680s as noun. The origin is unknown, possibly from London street slang; ostensibly as *bant + -er (frequentative suffix). Possibly an Anglo-Gaelicism from the Irish bean (“woman”), so that "banter" means "talk of women."
noun
-
Sharp, good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation.
I was elected to the Executive Committee of the Vegetarian Society, and made it a point to attend every one of its meetings, but I always felt tongue-tied. Dr. Oldfield once said to me, 'You talk to me quite all right, but why is it that you never open your lips at a committee meeting? You are a dro
Similar: pleasantry, raillery
- Good-humoured bits of monologue and/or conversational prompts used in any of a wide range of occupations that must frequently interact with the public (for example, store clerks, salespersons, nurses).
verb banters · bantering · bantered
- To engage in banter or playful conversation.
- To play or do something amusing.
- To tease (someone) mildly. Here comes the muſty trader, running over vvith remonſtrances. I muſt banter the cit.
- To joke about; to ridicule (a trait, habit, etc.). June 1804, William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham If they banter your regularity, order, and love of study, banter in return their neglect of them.
- To delude or trick; to play a prank upon. [W]e diverted ourſelves vvith bantering ſeveral other poor Scholars, vvith hopes of being at leaſt his Lordſhip's Chaplains and putting on a Scarf; […]
- To challenge to a match.
- To haggle; cheapen the price.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: raillery, backchat, jolly, give-and-take, kid, chaff, joke, prank, kidding, chatter, gossip, chitchat, chat, repartee, talk, spar
Translations
Every language
noun good humoured conversation
| Español | charla, cháchara, bromas |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | からかう karakau |
| 中文 | 逗樂 /逗乐 dòu lè, 打趣 dǎ qù, 玩笑 wán xiào |
| Português | caçoada, brincadeira, resenha |
| Français | plaisanterie, badinage |
| Deutsch | Gelabere, Wortgeplänkel, Geplänkel, Scherz, Neckerei, Ulk |
| Italiano | chiacchierata |
| Русский | шутливая беседа |
verb to engage in banter
| Español | charlar, bromear |
|---|---|
| Français | badiner |
| Deutsch | albern, scherzen, plaudern, necken, sich necken, schäkern |
verb to play or do something amusing
| Español | divertirse, vacilar, bacilar |
|---|---|
| Français | s'amuser |
| Deutsch | Spaß haben, sich amüsieren, spielen, sich vergnügen |
verb to tease mildly
| Español | torear, burlarse de, tomar el pelo a, chacotear, vacilar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 談笑 /谈笑 tánxiào |
| Português | caçoar, bulir |
| Français | taquiner |
| Deutsch | necken, verulken, auf den Arm nehmen, sich necken, sticheln |
| Italiano | stuzzicare |
| Русский | добродушно подшучивать dobrodušno podšučivatʹ, подтрунивать podtrunivatʹ, поддразнивать poddraznivatʹ |
Talk about this word "banter." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/banter. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. banter. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/banter "banter." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/banter.Cite this
@misc{banter_2026,
title = {banter},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/banter},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
