/banter-meaning-etymology-synonyms
-) Verb.
-) Pronunciation and accent: bæntə(r).
-) Etymology: of uncertain origin. It is doubtful whether the verb or the noun was the earlier.
-) It is dated from the end of 1600.
-) Transitive: -) 1. To treat (a person) jocularly; to address (some one) in such a manner as to expect in reaction either a smile or a laughter; to ridicule without intention of offending the banteree; to address a playful ridicule to (a person).
-) Synonyms: to mock at (some one), quiz, chaff, rally, jeer.
-) Translation: embromar, in Spanish; burlare, in Italian; plaisanter (quelqu’un), in French.
He was an inexperienced hunter and a poor shot, for which he was much bantered by his more adroit comrades.
Washington Irving… Astoria 1836
It was an imperfect instrument, something between a flute and a clarionet […]. An islander informed me that it was the only sort of musical instrument which the Northern tribes possessed, and that it was played upon by the young men only when they were /in love/. I suspected at first that he was bantering me, but I afterwards found that what he said was true.
F. Marryat… Diary in America… 1839
-) Reciprocally:
He was constantly surrounded on such occasions by buffoons selected, for the most part, from among the vilest pettifoggers who practised before him. These men bantered and abused each other for his entertainment.
T. Macaulay… The history of England… 1848
The other Cavaliers whooped and laughed in the […] jest, pushing and bantering each other as they hurried on in full pursuit of the rapidly retreating chase.
G. Melville… Holmby House… 1860
-) With the prepositions “for”, “on” or “upon” + a noun or a gerund, which are designative either of the cause or of the subject of the banter:
“I wish,” said Miss Trevannion to her friend, “that you would cease bantering me upon that subject.”
W. Scargill… Tales of a briefless barrister… 1829
The cunning old Indian followed him to and fro, holding out a sea-otter skin to him at every turn, and pestering him to trade. Finding other means unavailing, he suddenly changed his tone, and began to jeer and banter him upon the mean prices he offered. This was too much for the patience of the captain, who was never remarkable for relishing a joke, especially when at his own expense. Turning suddenly upon his persecutor, he snatched the proffered otter-skin from his hands, rubbed it in his face…
Irving… Astoria… 1836
… encountering Mr Nadgett in the outer room, he bantered that stealthy gentleman on always appearing anxious to avoid him, and inquired if he were afraid of him.
Dickens… Martin… 1844
Others of Goldsmith's friends entertained similar ideas with respect to his fitness for the task, and they were apt now and then to banter him on the subject, and to amuse themselves with his easy credulity.
W. Irving… Oliver Goldsmith… 1849
"Being with a party at Versailles, viewing the waterworks, a question [… followed] among the gentlemen present, whether the distance from whence they stood to one of the little islands was within the compass of a leap. Goldsmith maintained the affirmative; but, being bantered on the subject, and remembering his former prowess as a youth, attempted the leap, but, falling short, descended into the water, to the great amusement of the company."
W. Irving… Oliver Goldsmith… 1849
I soon reached the place of rendezvous, and was greeted by the merry voices of my companions, who were already seated on the coach, which was to convey us to our place of destination. They bantered me upon my dilatoriness.
A. Crowquill… A bundle… 1854
None of my acquaintances knew what I was doing with my money, and often bantered me for not joining in their revels as I was wont.
W. Chambers… Chambers’s journal, vol. 24… 1854
… William, in a good-humored tone, bantered them for the want of firmness.
W. Carleton… Jane Sinclair… 1881
Kitty bantered me a good deal on my silence throughout the remainder of the ride.
R. Kipling… Indian Tales… 1885
… he dictated a letter, in which, evidently […] to conceal the full extent of his misfortune, he bantered her on having recently advised him to beware of cold. "You ought," said he, "rather to have warned me to beware of heat."
R. Davenport… Peril and suffering… 1900
-) With the preposition “about” + noun or a gerund designative either of the cause or of the subject of the banter:
Winston knew the man, and was about to urge the horse forward, but, in place of it, drew bridle, and laughed with a feeling that was wholly new to him as he remembered that his neighbors now and then bantered him about his English, and that Courthorne only used the Western colloquialism when it suited him.
H. Bindloss… Winston… 1907
… we bantered each other about our ages, each claiming to be older than the other.
W. Howells… Seven English Cities… 1909
-) With the preposition “with” + a noun or a gerund designative of what is said jocularly:
… the very children in the streets bantered him with the title of “The Adelantado of the Seven Cities.”
Bentley’s miscellany… 1839
For some time after his return from Paris, he exhibited an unwonted degree of […] communicativeness, and we frequently bantered him with having become half a Frenchman.
M. Muir… Heroes… 1883
-) Reflexively:
The poet was fond of smoking his pipe, and banters himself as being no hero in cavalry.
Hardinge… 1817
Mr Dennis appeared to think it an uncommon circumstance, and to banter himself upon it.
Dickens… Barnaby Rudge… 1841
-) To banter (someone) out of: to dissuade (a person) from something by bantering him.
Wrung as I was to the heart, I was ashamed of having it supposed that the loss of my hundred guineas in the least affected me. Belmont insisted that I should sup with him, and when I attempted to decline his invitation, bantered me out of my refusal, by asking if I had parted with my hundred guineas to purchase the spleen.
T. Holcroft… Hugh Trevor… 1794
[Captain Everard is bantering:] “You have described me exactly,” said he, bowing; “your insight into character is wonderful; you ought to write fashionable and domestic novels.”
But Edith was not to be bantered out of her severity.
M. Smedley… The maiden aunt… 1849
He consulted Bob Lee about it, and got only a bantering answer and a hint about the note of hand. Giles was not to be bantered out of his belief, but laid the case before sundry of his acquaintance, who were notorious for their credulity in all marvellous affairs.
T. Haliburton… Traits of American humor… 1852
-) To banter (someone) into something: to persuade (a person) into something by bantering him:
Your young female friends should never be allowed to tease or banter you into the betrayal of this secret.
J. Farrar… The young lady’s friend… 1837
Golopin […] has great faith in his flute, and generally carries it about with him. At Casserole’s restaurant in the Haymarket, one evening, having a violent dispute with Klitzer, […], who had bantered him into a state of frenzy, he positively struck that big instrumentalist in the face, though he had to jump at least a foot in the air to do so.
G. Sala… Gaslight and Daylight… 1859
Even after a day of heavy toil at log-rolling, the young men and boys bantered one another into foot races, wrestling matches, shooting contests, and other feats of strength or skill.
F. Ogg… The Old Northwest… 1919
-) 2. (Now archaic): to delude (someone) by bantering him.
Miss Bertram was in the breakfast-parlour when Sampson shuffled in, his face all radiant with smiles--a circumstance so uncommon that Lucy's first idea was that somebody had been bantering him with an imposition.
W. Scott… Guy Mannering… 1815
-) 3. To incite banteringly (a person) to do something. More usually: to incite to compete ludicrously for winning something (as, a bet, a race, etc.)
-) Antonym: to dissuade.
-) Synonym: to challenge.
-) With the preposition “for” + a noun designative of what is incited:
I was thinking of walking out into the country, and bantering somebody for a foot-race.
W. Caruthers… The Kentuckian in New-York… 1834
Shortly after leaving the Williams ranch next morning, I met a crowd of Chickasaw indians who bantered me for a horse race.
C. Siringo… A Texas Cow Boy… 1885
We were traveling through a thick, heavy wood, when we met a sewing-machine agent. I saw at once that he was driving an animal that exactly matched the one we brought from Chicago.
I bantered him for a trade.
He stopped, and after looking over the horse I had just bought, said he'd trade for seventy-five dollars.
"I'll give you fifty dollars."
J. Johnston… Twenty Years… 1902
-) With an infinitive designative of what is incited:
I feel his little […] hands over my eyes, and hear a child’s voice bantering me to guess his name.
D. Hill… The Land… 1866-1869
When our boats started for shore, the divers followed us quite a distance, bantering us to throw coins into the water.
E. Howe… The trip to the West Indies… 1910
I began an immediate search for a buyer for my horses and carriage, but without success, till one day an old gentleman bantered me to trade the entire outfit for a yoke of oxen and a two-wheeled cart, and was somewhat surprised when I showed my readiness to "swap" for five hundred dollars to boot.
J. Johnston… Twenty Years… 1902
-) Intransitive: to use a banter; to behave as a banterer.
-) Synonyms: to joke, jest, pleasant.
"Are you bantering, or are you in earnest?" cries the father, with a most solemn voice.
H. Fielding… The History of Tom Jones… 1749
All at once his pretty, pleasant hostess, with whom he had been glad enough to banter, and with whom even he had been ready to enter upon a mild and innocent flirtation, became horrible and hateful to him.
Lovett Cameron... Vera Nevill… 1887
Their laughter was noisy, their banter of one another and of Winona was continuous, and Winona laughed, even bantered. That she should banter strangers in a public place! She felt rowdy, but liked it.
H. Wilson… The Wrong Twin… 1921
-) With the preposition “with” + a noun of the person who reciprocates a joke or noun of the banteree:
Old Germans talked over their beer pots, and puffed at their pipes; young ones laughed and bantered with the servant girls.
F. Parkman… Vassall Morton… 1856
-) English words derived from the verb “banter”: banter (noun), banteree, banterer, bantering, banteringly, bantery.