Meaning
to tease, to needle
- to make sarcastic or provoking remarks to someone; to needle
- to prick or sting lightly and repeatedly
In a sentence
Durante la cena ha continuato a punzecchiare il fratello sul suo nuovo lavoro.
During dinner he kept teasing his brother about his new job.
Perché ti diverti a punzecchiarmi davanti a tutti?
Why do you enjoy needling me in front of everyone?
Non voleva offenderlo, ma solo punzecchiarlo amichevolmente.
She did not want to offend him, only to tease him in a friendly way.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| punzecchiare | infinitive |
| punzecchio | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| punzecchi | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| punzecchia | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| punzecchiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| punzecchiate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| punzecchiano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| punzecchiavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| punzecchiavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| punzecchiava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| punzecchiavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| punzecchiavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| punzecchiavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| punzecchiai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| punzecchiasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| punzecchiò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| punzecchiammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| punzecchiaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| punzecchiarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| punzecchierò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| punzecchierai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| punzecchierà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| punzecchieremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| punzecchierete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| punzecchieranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| punzecchi | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| punzecchi |
Usage notes
- Most commonly used figuratively to describe playful or mildly provocative verbal jabs.