chaffing 1 of 2

adjective

as in joking
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing a chaffing tone to Dad's discussion of my sister's new boyfriend

Synonyms & Similar Words

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chaffing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of chaff
1
as in teasing
to make fun of in a good-natured way chaffed her about the brightly colored shirt she had received as a gift

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in funning
to make jokes a coworker who likes to chaff at others' expense, and this often results in hurt feelings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of chaffing
Verb
The Mulberry silk blend material, meantime, is soft and gentle against the skin, reducing fine lines caused by frequent rubbing or chaffing. — Tim Chan, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026 Water repellent fabrics will keep you dry to prevent chilling and chaffing. — James Edward Mills, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaffing
  1. ribbing
  2. teasing
  3. joking
  4. mocking
  5. kidding
  6. sarcastic
  7. rallying
  8. quizzical
Adjective
  • Fourth, the handle needed to be patterned for a secure grip even in dirty, wet conditions, so checkering or deep ribbing was added to the alloy metal.
    — David Szondy August 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Cotton-cashmere ribbing blends softness and structure for a lightweight tank that always looks as intended.
    — Paris Wilson, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
Definition of ribbing
Verb
  • Mahomes began teasing the collection last week with several posts on her Instagram.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
  • As part of the panel, co-showrunners and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau introduced a new clip teasing the second season, alongside series cast members Holly Hunter, Sandro Rosta, Bella Shepard, Karim Diané and Robert Picardo.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of teasing
Verb
  • On the police's Facebook account on Tuesday, officers criticized inappropriate comments and warned that sharing or joking about such incidents can worsen the impact on any victim.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • From the Polar Prince, Dawood watched Shahzada joking with Hamish — the pair had become friends.
    — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of joking
Adjective
  • To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!
    — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
Definition of mocking
Verb
  • But kidding aside, AI used in the right way can make people smarter about their health, more so than most realize.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
  • But Guthrie wasn’t kidding, slipping into a yellow gingham dress before joining her co-hosts on the Today Show Plaza to greet visitors.
    — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Definition of kidding
Adjective
  • The interest has been driven largely by the brand's casual, sarcastic tone and active participation in online trends.
    — Megan Sauer, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Before the constant stream of sarcastic Ultron commentary wears out its welcome around the series’ halfway point, the bad guy’s brevity is a nice counterpoint to all of the sentient ennui.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of sarcastic
Adjective
  • And, unlike most other countries in wartime that have been attacked, there was no rallying effect for the government after October 7th.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Definition of rallying
Adjective
  • Long missing an eyebrow, the plushie looked forever quizzical.
    — Danielle Paquette, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2026
  • To its left, sausages revolved on chrome rollers; to its right, a human attendant in a brightly colored uniform looked patient and quizzical.
    — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of quizzical

Browse Nearby Words

chaffer (with)
chaffing
chaffs
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Cite this Entry

“Chaffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaffing. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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