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
  • Cotton-cashmere ribbing blends softness and structure for a lightweight tank that always looks as intended.
    — Paris Wilson, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
  • The Bay Area and Silicon Valley has always been ripe for both some ribbing and some potent storytelling on the big and small screen, due to its colorful history and its current role as capitol of the American technological zeitgeist.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Definition of ribbing
Verb
  • The film also shows Reagan confidently teasing his negotiating team about being Democrats, which was probably done so that the movie could make the summit seem like a bipartisan effort.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Pasquarosa began teasing her relationship with Fiore in late February by posting photos and videos with him on social media.
    — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of teasing
Verb
  • Though some eagle fans had good fun with her name and joking that Shadow was cheating on Jackie, Jolene is considered a bit too young to be thinking about mating.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026
  • They were dressed as food-delivery workers, carrying insulated bags on their backs, joking with one another and livestreaming everything with their phones.
    — Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 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 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
  • Just kidding, but seeing Angela’s team sweep Shamea’s at the Bailey Bowl basketball tournament was almost as satisfying as knowing Charles got to witness his former team’s historic win in person.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 22 June 2026
Definition of kidding
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Rogen and Nanjiani manage to steal multiple scenes as the voices of the ladies’ cats Dio and GG, two sarcastic felines who are fed up with their burnout owners.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026
  • This was Perez Hilton, after all, a man who had earned fame in the mid-two-thousands for his salacious, sarcastic, and often sadistic coverage of celebrity suffering.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 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 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on chaffing

Nglish: Translation of chaffing for Spanish Speakers

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