striptease
C1Informal, slightly taboo/vulgar
Definition
Meaning
A form of entertainment in which a performer gradually undresses to music in a sexually provocative manner.
Any act of gradually revealing something, often in a teasing or dramatic way.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily refers to the performance/event. Can be used metaphorically to describe a gradual, suggestive revelation of information or an object.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major lexical differences. The word is standard in both varieties.
Connotations
Equally associated with adult entertainment, burlesque, or comedic contexts in both cultures.
Frequency
Similar frequency. The metaphorical extension might be slightly more common in US journalistic language.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] performed a striptease.[Subject] gave [Indirect Object] a striptease.The [metaphor] was a slow striptease of [revealed information].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Do a striptease (literal)”
- “A striptease of information (metaphorical)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly metaphorical: 'The merger negotiations were a financial striptease, with details slowly leaked.'
Academic
Very rare, except in cultural, gender, or performance studies.
Everyday
Informal. Used literally to discuss adult entertainment or humorously/metaphorically.
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He joked that he would striptease if his team won the cup.
- The politician seemed to striptease the policy details over several weeks.
American English
- She stripteased her way through the retro burlesque number.
- The company stripteased the new phone's features in a series of cryptic tweets.
adverb
British English
- Not commonly used as an adverb.
American English
- Not commonly used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The club had a striptease night every Thursday.
- He has a background in striptease performance.
American English
- They hired a striptease dancer for the bachelor party.
- The documentary explored striptease culture in the 1950s.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The film had a funny scene with a bad striptease.
- They went to a bar that had a striptease show.
- The article criticised the glamorisation of striptease in popular music videos.
- As a metaphor, the press conference was a slow striptease of embarrassing facts.
- Her doctoral thesis analysed the evolution of striptease from burlesque to modern performance art.
- The CEO's media interviews constituted a carefully managed striptease of the company's restructuring plans.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: STRIP your clothes to TEASE the audience.
Conceptual Metaphor
REVELATION IS UNDRESSING; PROVOCATION IS TEASING.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'striptiz' in formal English writing; use the English 'striptease'.
- The word has the same primary meaning, but the metaphorical use ('striptease of information') is less common in Russian.
Common Mistakes
- Spelling: 'strip-tease' (hyphenated) is an older variant, now usually one word.
- Using as a verb without a clear context: 'He stripteased' is less common than 'He did a striptease'.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST likely context for the word 'striptease'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is informal and can be considered vulgar or taboo in conservative contexts, but is the standard term for this type of performance.
Yes, though it's less common than the noun use (e.g., 'to do a striptease'). The verb form is more frequent in metaphorical contexts.
Historically, burlesque is a theatrical genre involving parody and comedy, which often included striptease elements. Modern 'neo-burlesque' often emphasises artistry and empowerment, while 'striptease' focuses more squarely on the act of undressing.
Use it to describe any slow, deliberate, and often provocative revelation. Example: 'The trailer was a two-minute striptease for the plot of the film.'