as in banter
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks
the sophisticated badinage of the characters in plays by Oscar Wilde
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Recent Examples of badinage
In The Kitchen, Wesker tracked the decorum from friendly badinage to hostile vernacular that co-workers sustain just to get through the day.
—
Armond White, National Review, 30 Oct. 2024
While Hawley hasn’t left behind any of his signature philosophical dialogue or memorable badinage, Season 5 is also the most reliant on the camera to make its points.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024
The question of who was manipulating whom had been a meta thing in our conversations from the beginning, with jokey badinage about the power of interviewers and the vulnerability of their subjects.
—Laura Kipnis, WIRED, 5 Dec. 2023
The music is in the badinage.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Dec. 2020
But also present are Heyer’s wry humor and deftness in witty badinage.
—Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2022
The film, directed with an alluring blend of badinage and upper-crust sensuality by Emma Holly Jones, is based on a novel by Suzanne Allain (who wrote the screenplay), which was published in 2020 and designed to be a playful riff on Jane Austen.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 July 2022
The banality of Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s adapted script suggests satire, yet the film is fairly humorless, despite the musicians’ profane badinage.
—Armond White, National Review, 1 Jan. 2021
The result is a system that favors cable-ready wisecracks and viral badinage over substantive policy discussions.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 31 July 2020
Armond White, National Review, 30 Oct. 2024
While Hawley hasn’t left behind any of his signature philosophical dialogue or memorable badinage, Season 5 is also the most reliant on the camera to make its points.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024
The question of who was manipulating whom had been a meta thing in our conversations from the beginning, with jokey badinage about the power of interviewers and the vulnerability of their subjects.
—Laura Kipnis, WIRED, 5 Dec. 2023
The music is in the badinage.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Dec. 2020
But also present are Heyer’s wry humor and deftness in witty badinage.
—Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2022
The film, directed with an alluring blend of badinage and upper-crust sensuality by Emma Holly Jones, is based on a novel by Suzanne Allain (who wrote the screenplay), which was published in 2020 and designed to be a playful riff on Jane Austen.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 July 2022
The banality of Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s adapted script suggests satire, yet the film is fairly humorless, despite the musicians’ profane badinage.
—Armond White, National Review, 1 Jan. 2021
The result is a system that favors cable-ready wisecracks and viral badinage over substantive policy discussions.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 31 July 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badinage
Noun
-
Postgame press conferences this season for TCU women’s basketball have often been joyous occasions with jokes from head coach Mark Campbell and witty banter between his star players.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Mar. 2025
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Throughout the process, Jenna and Nick worked together, discussing design choices and sharing light-hearted banter.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
With time, their caustic raillery transforms into sincere attachment.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
13 May 2021
-
French’s evocation of place, a rural way of life and overall creepiness are superb, as is the dialogue, a festival of Irish raillery and repartee.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
14 Oct. 2020
Noun
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The joke being: Champagnes are sparkling wines that come only from the Champagne region of France.—
Timothy DePeugh,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2025
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The joke sparked a furious backlash within Shinde’s Hindu supremacist Shiv Sena political party.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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For all his entertaining repartee, Hedges is keenly aware of when to lock in.—
Ken Rosenthal,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
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Ally and Jay are both sarcastic, too — their best lines are muttered under their breaths — and their repartee becomes more interesting than the bloody theatrics.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The duchess gave an exaggerated shrug before stifling a laugh.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Mar. 2025
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The friendly exes were spotted sharing a laugh at a paintball party for their youngest child on March 2 to celebrate Samuel becoming a teenager, as seen in photos shared by Page Six.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But the polarized atmosphere made legislative give-and-take harder, Mr. Chen said.—
Chris Buckley,
New York Times,
23 Mar. 2025
-
This is a time to reflect on the financial or emotional give-and-take in your one-on-one connections.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The movie is a traditional Western right down to its narrative bones, but Kasdan and his actors infuse it with a raucous, even modern, sense of energy and humor.—
Sezin Devi Keohler,
EW.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Many have observed that Gen Z has turned to Dadaist humor as a response to the surreal conditions of the present day.—
James Factora,
Them.,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In French air force service, the Mirage 2000-5F flies with a combination of a Serval radar warning receiver, a Sabre jammer and an Eclair chaff and flare dispenser.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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Not wind but a chaff of pollen choking in that whirl.—
David Baker,
The Atlantic,
8 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Badinage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badinage. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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