badinage

noun

ba·di·nage ˌba-də-ˈnäzh

Synonyms of badinage

: playful repartee : banter

Examples of badinage in a Sentence

the sophisticated badinage of the characters in plays by Oscar Wilde

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Each bus has a pair of hosts, whose badinage is corny but crowd-pleasing. — Patricia Marx, New Yorker, 5 May 2025 The action flows, the badinage is fast and fun. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025 But also present are Heyer’s wry humor and deftness in witty badinage. — Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2022 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 Left on their own, boisterous badinage between old school British thespian Shaw and giggly, hyper-ventilating wannabe movie star Dreyfuss has taken hold. — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026 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 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

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, going back to Middle French, "foolishness, stupidity," from badiner "to banter, jest, play the fool" (verbal derivative of badin "silly, foolish," as noun, "fool, simpleton," borrowed from Occitan, from badar "to have the mouth wide open, gape"—going back to Vulgar Latin *batāre, perhaps of imitative origin + -in, adjective suffix) + -age -age

First Known Use

circa 1658, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of badinage was circa 1658

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

bad/ill feelings

badinage

Badis

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Badinage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/badinage. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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badinage

noun

Synonyms of badinage

Examples of badinage in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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