| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | nag |
| Synonyms: | badger, berate, bother, bug*, bully, carp, fuss, give a hard time, harass, hector, hound, intimidate, irritate, needle, pester, pick on, ride, scold, torment |
| Main Entry: | menace |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bother, frighten |
| Synonyms: | alarm, bad-eye, browbeat, bully, chill, compromise, endanger, hazard, impend, imperil, intimidate, jeopardize, lean on, loom, lower, overhang, peril, portend, push around, put heat on, risk, scare, scare hell out of, spook, terrorize, threaten, torment, whip around |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, help |
| Main Entry: | prey on |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack, terrorize |
| Synonyms: | blackmail, bleed, bully, burden, consume, depredate, devour, distress, eat, exploit, feed on, fleece, haunt, hunt, intimidate, live off, load, oppress, plunder, raid, seize, take advantage of, tax, trouble, victimize, weigh, worry |
| Antonyms: | guard, protect, save |
| Main Entry: | ruffle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | upset, irritate |
| Synonyms: | abrade, agitate, anger, annoy, bluster, bother, browbeat, bully, chafe, confuse, cow*, disconcert, disquiet, disturb, excite, floor*, flummox, flurry, fluster, fret, fuddle, gall, get to, harass, intimidate, irk, nettle, peeve, perturb, provoke, put off, put out, rattle, rattle one's cage, shake up, stir, stump, throw into tizzy, torment, trouble, unsettle, vex, wear, worry |
| Notes: | a continuous low drumbeat is a ruffle, a continuous even drumbeat is a tattoo, a continuous loud drumbeat is a drumroll |
| Antonyms: | calm, soothe |
| Main Entry: | scare |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | frighten someone |
| Synonyms: | affright, alarm, awe, chill, daunt, dismay, freeze, give a fright, give a turn, intimidate, panic, paralyze, petrify, scare silly, scare stiff, scare the pants off, shake up, shock, spook, startle, strike terror in, terrify, terrorize |
| Antonyms: | calm, comfort, reassure, soothe |
| Main Entry: | shake |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | upset deeply |
| Synonyms: | appall, bother, consternate, daunt, discompose, dismay, distress, disturb, frighten, horrify, impair, intimidate, jar, knock props out, make waves, move, rattle, throw, throw a curve, undermine, unnerve, unsettle, unstring, upset, weaken, worry |
| Antonyms: | calm, placate, soothe |
| Main Entry: | terrify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | scare |
| Synonyms: | alarm, appall, awe, chill, dismay, freeze, fright, frighten, horrify, intimidate, paralyze, petrify, scare stiff, scare the pants off of, scare to death, shock, spook, startle, strike fear into, stun, stupefy, terrorize |
| Antonyms: | calm, delight, please |
| Main Entry: | terrorize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | upset, threaten |
| Synonyms: | alarm, appall, awe, bludgeon, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, coerce, cow, dismay, dragoon, fright, frighten, hector, horrify, intimidate, menace, oppress, petrify, scare, scare to death, shock, spook, startle, strike terror into, strong-arm, terrify |
| Antonyms: | assuage, calm, help, please |
| Main Entry: | threaten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | warn, pressure |
| Synonyms: | abuse, admonish, augur, blackmail, bluster, browbeat, bully, caution, comminate, cow, enforce, flex muscles, forebode, forewarn, fulminate, growl, intimidate, look daggers, make threat, menace, portend, presage, pressurize, push around, scare, scowl, shake fist at, snarl, spook, terrorize, torment, walk heavy |
| Antonyms: | alleviate, help, protect, relieve |