To gibe means to make mocking or taunting remarks, usually in a teasing way that's meant to provoke or insult someone. When classmates gibe at a student who struck out in kickball, they're not offering friendly encouragement. They're making fun, often with sarcastic comments like “Nice try, superstar!”

Gibes can be playful or mean-spirited. Friends might exchange good-natured gibes about their favorite sports teams, where both sides know it's just fun rivalry. But gibes can also sting when they target someone's real insecurities or mistakes. The word suggests a sharp, pointed quality to the teasing, like verbal jabs.

You might see gibe used as a noun too: “The losing team ignored the gibes from the crowd.” Politicians often trade gibes during debates, trying to make their opponents look foolish.

Note that gibe sounds exactly like jibe, which means something completely different: to agree or match up. If someone says “Those two stories don't jibe,” they mean the stories don't match up. But if someone hurls a gibe, they're throwing an insult, not checking for agreement.