| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | tease, annoy |
| Synonyms: | aggravate, badger, bait, bedevil, bother, examine, gnaw, goad, harass, hector, irk, irritate, nag, nettle, pester, plague, prick, prod, provoke, question, quiz, ride*, rile, ruffle, spur, sting, taunt, tweak*, worry |
| Antonyms: | praise |
| Main Entry: | annoy |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | irritate, upset |
| Synonyms: | T-off, abrade, agitate, ask for it, badger, be at, be on the back of, bedevil, beleaguer, bore, bother, break, bug, burn up, chafe, displease, distress, disturb, egg on, exasperate, fire up, gall, get, gnaw, harass, harry, heat up, henpeck, hit where one lives, irk, madden, make waves, miff, nag, needle, nettle, nudge, peeve, perturb, pester, plague, provoke, push button, ride, rile, ruffle, tease, tick off, trouble, turn off, vex, work on, worry |
| Antonyms: | aid, gratify, make happy, please, soothe |
| Main Entry: | anxiety |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | worry, tension |
| Synonyms: | all-overs, angst, ants in pants, apprehension, botheration, butterflies, care, cold sweat, concern, creeps, disquiet, disquietude, distress, doubt, downer, drag*, dread, fidgets, flap, foreboding, fretfulness, fuss, goose bumps, heebie-jeebies, jitters, jumps, misery, misgiving, mistrust, nail-biting, needles, nervousness, panic, pins and needles, restlessness, shakes, shivers, solicitude, suffering, suspense, sweat*, trouble, uncertainty, unease, uneasiness, watchfulness, willies, worriment |
| Antonyms: | assurance, calmness, composure, contentment, ease, happiness, nonchalance, peace, tranquility |
| Main Entry: | ask |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | question |
| Synonyms: | buzz*, canvass, catechize, challenge, cross-examine, demand, direct, enjoin, examine, give the third degree, go over, grill, hit*, hunt for, inquire, institute, interrogate, investigate, needle, pick one's brains, pop the question, pry into, pump, put the screws to, put through the wringer, query, quiz, request, roast, sweat* |
| Antonyms: | answer, claim, command, insist, reply, repudiate, tell |
| Main Entry: | badger |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | nag, bother |
| Synonyms: | annoy, bait, bug, bully, eat*, give the business, goad, harass, harry, hassle, heckle, hound, importune, insist on, needle, nudge, pester, plague, ride, tease, torment, work on |
| Main Entry: | bother |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | harass, annoy; give trouble |
| Synonyms: | afflict, aggravate, agitate, alarm, badger, bedevil, bore, browbeat, carp at, concern, cross, discommode, disconcert, disgust, dismay, displease, disquiet, distress, disturb, eat, embarrass, exacerbate, exasperate, goad, grate on, grieve, harry, hinder, hurt, impede, inconvenience, insult, intrude upon, irk, irritate, molest, nag, needle, nudge, pain, perplex, perturb, pester, pick on, plague, provoke, pursue, put out, ride, scare, spite, tantalize, taunt, tease, torment, trouble, upset, vex, worry |
| Antonyms: | aid, help, please |
| Main Entry: | bug |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bother, disturb |
| Synonyms: | abrade, annoy, badger, chafe, gall, get on someone, harass, irk, irritate, needle, nettle, pester, plague, provoke, vex |
| Antonyms: | not bother |
| Main Entry: | dilute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make thinner; weaken |
| Synonyms: | adulterate, alter, attenuate, cook, cut, decrease, deliquesce, diffuse, diminish, doctor up, doctor*, irrigate, lace, lessen, liquefy, mitigate, mix, moderate, modify, needle, phony up, plant, qualify, reduce, shave, spike, temper, water, water down |
| Antonyms: | concentrate, strengthen, thicken |
| Main Entry: | distress |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | worry, upset |
| Synonyms: | afflict, aggrieve, agonize, ail, be on one's case, bother, break, bug, burn up, depress, desolate, discombobulate, disquiet, disturb, do a number on, dog*, eat*, get to, get*, give a hard time, grieve, harass, harry, hound, hurt, injure, irk, irritate, make it tough for, miff, nag, needle, nit-pick, oppress, pain, peeve, perplex, pester, pick on, plague, push, push buttons, rack, sadden, strain, strap, stress, tick off, torment, torture, trouble, try, vex, weigh, wound |
| Antonyms: | assist, calm, comfort, help, soothe |