noun
banter
BAN-tuh
noun
1
Light, good-humoured teasing conversation exchanged between people who know each other well.
"There was a lot of friendly banter between the two teams before kickoff."
"The radio hosts kept up a stream of easy banter between songs."
verb
1
To exchange playful, teasing remarks with someone.
"The old friends bantered about whose cooking was worse."
"She bantered with the waiter while deciding what to order."
How to Use Banter
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCheerful, joking back-and-forth talk — not a real argument, just friendly ribbing.
Memory tip
Banter is always light-hearted. If someone gets genuinely upset, it has stopped being banter.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
friendly banter
exchange banter
banter back and forth
Word Forms
bantered past tense, banters singular
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There was a lot of friendly _____ between the two teams before kickoff.
Etymology
First recorded in the 1670s (as a verb) and 1680s (as a noun). The exact origin is unclear — it may have started as London street slang, and some think it comes from an Irish phrase meaning "talk of women."