What does "banter" mean?
Sharp, good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation.
Banter
/ˈbæntə/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Sharp, good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation.
- Grammar: banter is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: raillery, affiliative talk, backchat, backchat.
- Useful contrasts: formal discourse, formal speech, grimness.
- Usage evidence: The conversation started with friendly banter but ended in bruises.
How to use "banter"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "banter" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "banter" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "banter" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "banter" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "banter" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "raillery" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "banter", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Sharp, good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation. uncountable
"I was elected to the Executive Committee of the Vegetarian Society, and made it a point to attend every one of its meetings, but I always felt tongue-tied. Dr. Oldfield once said to me, 'You talk to me quite all right, but why is it that you never open your lips at a committee meeting? You are a drone.' I appreciated the banter. The bees are ever busy, the drone is a thorough idler."
- 2 light teasing repartee wordnet
- 3 Good-humoured bits of monologue and/or conversational prompts used in any of a wide range of occupations that must frequently interact with the public (for example, store clerks, salespersons, nurses). uncountable
Verb
- 1 To engage in banter or playful conversation. intransitive
- 2 be silly or tease one another wordnet
- 3 To play or do something amusing. intransitive
- 4 To tease (someone) mildly. transitive
"Here comes the muſty trader, running over vvith remonſtrances. I muſt banter the cit."
- 5 To joke about; to ridicule (a trait, habit, etc.). transitive
"June 1804, William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham If they banter your regularity, order, and love of study, banter in return their neglect of them."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To delude or trick; to play a prank upon. transitive
"[W]e diverted ourſelves vvith bantering ſeveral other poor Scholars, vvith hopes of being at leaſt his Lordſhip's Chaplains and putting on a Scarf; […]"
- 7 To challenge to a match. Southern, US, Western, colloquial, transitive
- 8 To haggle; cheapen the price. UK, dialectal
Antonyms
Example
"The conversation started with friendly banter but ended in bruises."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "banter"?
Common synonyms include: raillery, affiliative talk, backchat, backchat, badinage, bandy.
How do you use "banter" in a sentence?
The conversation started with friendly banter but ended in bruises.
How do you pronounce "banter"?
Pronounced /ˈbæntə/.
Etymology
1670s as verb, 1680s as noun. The origin is unknown, possibly from London street slang; ostensibly as *bant + -er (frequentative suffix). Possibly an Anglo-Gaelicism from the Irish bean (“woman”), so that "banter" means "talk of women."