| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | irritate |
| Synonyms: | aggravate, annoy, burn, chafe, exasperate, fret, gall, get on one's nerves, irk, nettle, peeve, pique, provoke, rankle, rile, rub the wrong way, vex |
| Antonyms: | make happy, please |
| Main Entry: | impertinence |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | boldness |
| Synonyms: | assurance, audacity, back talk, backchat, brazenness, cheek, chutzpah*, come-back, crust, disrespect, disrespectfulness, effrontery, forwardness, freshness, gall, guff, hardihood, impropriety, impudence, incivility, insolence, insolency, lip, nerve, pertness, presumption, rudeness, sass, smart mouth, wise guy, wisecrack |
| Antonyms: | humility, manners, politeness |
| Main Entry: | inflame |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | anger, aggravate |
| Synonyms: | agitate, annoy, arouse, burn, disturb, embitter, enrage, exacerbate, exasperate, excite, fan, fire, fire up, foment, gall, get*, grate, heat, heat up, ignite, impassion, incense, increase, infuriate, intensify, intoxicate, irritate, kindle, light, madden, provoke, put out, rile, roil, rouse, steam up, stimulate, vex, worsen |
| Antonyms: | alleviate, appease, cool, pacify, placate, put out, quench, soothe, tranquilize |
| Main Entry: | insolence |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | boldness, disrespect |
| Synonyms: | abuse, arrogance, audacity, back talk, brass, brazenness, cheek, chutzpah*, contempt, contemptuousness, contumely, effrontery, gall, guff, hardihood, impertinence, impudence, incivility, insubordination, lip, offensiveness, pertness, presumption, rudeness, sass, sauce, uncivility |
| Antonyms: | humility, modesty, politeness, respect |
| Main Entry: | irk |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | aggravate; rub the wrong way |
| Synonyms: | abrade, annoy, bother, bug*, discommode, disturb, eat*, fret, gall, get on nerves, get to, give a hard time, harass, incommode, inconvenience, irritate, make waves, miff, nettle, peeve, provoke, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, trouble, vex |
| Antonyms: | delight, please |
| Main Entry: | irritate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | upset, anger |
| Synonyms: | abrade, affront, aggravate, annoy, bother, bug*, burn*, chafe, confuse, distemper, disturb, drive up the wall, enrage, exasperate, fret, gall, get, get on nerves, get under skin, grate, harass, incense, inflame, infuriate, irk, madden, needle, nettle, offend, pain, peeve, pester, pique, provoke, put out, rankle, rasp, rattle, rile, roil, rub the wrong way, ruffle, sour, try, vex |
| Notes: | aggravate means 'to add to' an already troublesome or vexing matter or condition while irritate means 'to vex, annoy, or chafe' irritate means 'inflame' (originally 'excite, rouse'); aggravate means 'worsen' |
| Antonyms: | aid, assuage, delight, help, please |
| Main Entry: | nerve |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | daring, boldness |
| Synonyms: | assumption, assurance, audacity, backbone, brass, bravery, brazenness, cheek, chutzpah*, confidence, coolness, courage, crust, determination, effrontery, endurance, energy, face*, fearlessness, firmness, force, fortitude, gall*, gameness, grit, guts*, hardihood, hardiness, heart*, impertinence, impudence, insolence, intestinal fortitude, intrepidity, mettle, might, moxie*, pluck, presumption, resolution, sauce, spirit, spunk*, starch, steadfastness, stomach*, temerity, vigor, will |
| Antonyms: | fear, modesty, shyness, timidity |
| Main Entry: | offend |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | displease, insult |
| Synonyms: | affront, aggrieve, anger, annoy, antagonize, be disagreeable, disgruntle, disgust, disoblige, distress, disturb, exasperate, fret, gall, horrify, hurt, irritate, jar, miff, nauseate, nettle, outrage, pain, pique, provoke, repel, repulse, rile, shock, sicken, sin, slight, slur, snub, sting, transgress, trespass, turn one off, upset, vex, wound, zing |
| Antonyms: | compliment, please |
| Main Entry: | pain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bother, trouble |
| Synonyms: | ache, afflict, aggrieve, agonize, ail, anguish, annoy, bite, chafe, chasten, constrain, convulse, cut to the quick, discomfort, disquiet, distress, exasperate, excruciate, gall, grieve, gripe, harass, harm, harrow, hit where one lives, hurt, inflame, injure, irk, irritate, nick, prick, punish, rack, rile, sadden, smart, sting, strain, stress, suffer, throb, tingle, torment, torture, upset, vex, worry, wound |
| Notes: | a pain is something that hurts; an ache is a prolonged dull pain a pain is something that hurts as a consequence of injury, disease, or emotional disorder; a pane is a sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, assuage, help, please |