teaser

[tee-zer]

noun

1. a person or thing that teases.

2. an advertisement that lures customers or clients by offering a bonus, gift, or the like.

3. 1. Also called tease,. Also called teaser ad. Television.,  a short, impressionistic image, promotional video, or audio spot that reveals very little about the product or company being advertised and is presented to generate interest in advance of the primary advertising campaign.

   2. Also called teaser trailer,. Also called trailer tease. Movies.,  a short, edited promotional video to generate interest in an upcoming film and announce its release date: a teaser is a forerunner to full-length trailers for the film that feature highlights and are shown closer to the film’s distribution date.

   3. Also called bumper tease. Television.,  bumper.

4. Informal.,  tease.

5. Theater.,  a drapery or flat piece across the top of the proscenium arch that masks the flies and that, together with the tormentors, forms a frame for the stage opening.

6. Printing, Journalism.,  kicker.

teaser

/ ˈtiːzə /

noun

1. a person who teases

2. a preliminary advertisement in a campaign that attracts attention by making people curious to know what product is being advertised

3. a difficult question

4. vet science a vasectomized male animal, such as an ox, used to detect oestrus in females

Word History and Origins

Origin of teaser¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English teser “machine for teasing wool”; tease, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Swift revealed her 12th album was imminent earlier this week in a teaser promoting the latest “New Heights” episode.

From Los Angeles Times

Many of the people I spoke to wanted a teaser photo, something that could lure them in.

From Salon

On its X account, the department pulled an image from a “South Park” teaser for the show’s forthcoming episode “Got a Nut.”

From Los Angeles Times

The reunion rollout began with a teaser video posted on Aug. 25, 2024, on the band’s Instagram account.

From Los Angeles Times

His most alarming proposed tariffs should be understood as negotiating tactics or “in our next episode” reality TV teasers, not as considered decisions rooted in any sort of theory or strategy.

From Salon

Related Words

• conundrum 
• enigma 
• problem 
• question 
• riddle 
• secrecy 
• subtlety 
• thriller