badinage

American  

[bad-n-ahzh, bad-n-ij] / ˌbæd nˈɑʒ, ˈbæd n ɪdʒ /

noun

1. light, playful banter or raillery.

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verb (used with object)

badinaged, badinaging

1. to banter with or tease (someone) playfully.

badinage British  

/ ˈbædɪˌnɑːʒ /

noun

1. playful or frivolous repartee or banter

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Etymology

Origin of badinage

First recorded in 1650–60; from French, equivalent to badin(er) “to joke, trifle” (verbal derivative of badin “joker, banterer,” from Old Provençal bad(ar) “to gape” or directly from Vulgar Latin batāre; cf. bay ²) + -in, from Latin -īnus -ine ¹ ) + -age -age

Explanation

Stiff corporate types don't tend to be too fond of badinage, or playful conversation, during important meetings, but sometimes a witty joke about the manager's ugly tie is just the right thing to lighten the mood. Badinage comes from the French word badiner, which means "to joke." In literature, there is no better place to find examples of badinage and witty wordplay than in Shakespeare's comedic plays. You can also find great examples in sitcom television, stand-up comedy, and the everyday frivolous banter among siblings and friends.

Example Sentences

His badinage is hardly Wildean, but his put-downs, honed to the sharpness of stilettos, are many people’s idea of fun.

From Salon • May 8, 2024

Once out front Verstappen spent the rest of the race engaging in light-hearted badinage with his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase as they bickered about how hard he should push.

From BBC • Jul. 30, 2023

But also present are Heyer’s wry humor and deftness in witty badinage.

From Washington Post • Sep. 10, 2022

And Simon Longnight, who plays both Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, can’t compete with the memory of Daveed Diggs, but he excels in rapping humorous ripostes and clever badinage.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 27, 2021

So disordered were my nerves from their romping badinage that I did not mark this question was addressed to me.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson