Badinage, persiflage, raillery denote a kind of banter.
Badinage is applied to banter that is playful and delicate, persiflage to banter that is derisive but not cutting, and raillery to banter that is keen and often sarcastic in its ridicule.
- As Carrie listened to this and much more of similar familiar badinage among the men and girls, she instinctively withdrew into herself.
- The persiflage is not appropriate when we are discussing such serious problems.
- He said this in a tone of jocose raillery.