SuaviloquyToday’s word

badinage

Badinage, n.

Etymology: [F., fr. badiner to joke, OF. to trifle, be silly, fr. badin silly.]

Playful raillery; banter. "He . . . indulged himself only in an elegant badinage." Warburton.

Shades of meaning

Fernald has no entry of its own for badinage; he lists it under banter.

Where he writes about it:

Banter is the touching upon some fault, weakness, or fancied secret of another in a way half to pique and half to please; badinage is delicate, refined banter. — from banter

Synonyms

banterchaffderisionironyjeeringmockeryrailleryridiculesarcasmsatire

Antonyms

none given

etymologyWebster’s online