| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause or become hurt |
| Synonyms: | agonize, annoy, beset, bother, burden, crucify, distress, grieve, harass, harrow, harry, irk, lacerate, martyr, oppress, pain, pester, plague, press, rack, smite, strike, torment, torture, trouble, try, vex, worry, wound |
| Notes: | afflict is generally used with living beings; inflict is generally used with inanimate objects inflict takes 'on,' afflict takes 'with' |
| Antonyms: | aid, comfort, help, solace, stay away from, take care of |
| Main Entry: | crucify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | execute; torture near to death |
| Synonyms: | excruciate, hang, harrow, kill, martyr, martyrize, nail to cross, persecute, rack, torment, torture |
| Antonyms: | exalt |
| Main Entry: | hurt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause mental pain |
| Synonyms: | abuse, afflict, aggrieve, annoy, burn, chafe, constrain, cut to the quick, discomfit, discommode, displease, distress, excruciate, faze, give no quarter, go for jugular, grieve, hit where one lives, injure, lambaste, lay a bad trip on, lean on, martyr, martyrize, prejudice, punish, put down, put out, sadden, sting*, thumb nose at, torment, torture, try, upset, vex, vitiate, work over, wound, zing |
| Antonyms: | calm, placate, please, relieve, soothe |
| Main Entry: | persecute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wrong, torment |
| Synonyms: | afflict, aggrieve, annoy, badger, bait, be on one's case, beat, bother, crucify, distress, dog*, dragoon, drive up the wall, exile, expel, harass, hector, hound, hunt, ill-treat, injure, maltreat, martyr, molest, oppress, outrage, pester, pick on, plague, pursue, tease, torture, tyrannize, vex, victimize, worry |
| Antonyms: | comfort, commend, console, reward, soothe |
| Main Entry: | rack |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | torture; strain |
| Synonyms: | afflict, agonize, crucify, distress, excruciate, force, harass, harrow, martyr, oppress, pain, persecute, pull, shake, stress, stretch, tear, torment, try, wrench, wring |
| Antonyms: | please, pleasure, soothe |
| Main Entry: | strike |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | devastate, affect |
| Synonyms: | afflict, aggress, assail, assault, attack, beset, deal a blow, excruciate, fall upon, harrow, hit, invade, martyr, rack, set upon, smite, storm, torment, torture, try, wring |
| Antonyms: | not touch, pass up |
| Main Entry: | torture |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | upset or hurt severely |
| Synonyms: | abuse, afflict, agonize, annoy, beat, bother, crucify, distress, disturb, excruciate, grill, harrow, impale, injure, irritate, lacerate, maim, mangle, martyr, martyrize, mistreat, mutilate, oppress, pain, persecute, rack, smite, torment, try, whip, wound, wring, wrong |
| Antonyms: | alleviate, make happy, please, relieve |
| Main Entry: | try |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bother, afflict |
| Synonyms: | agonize, annoy, crucify, distress, excruciate, harass, inconvenience, irk, irritate, martyr, pain, plague, rack, strain, stress, tax, tire, torment, torture, trouble, upset, vex, weary, wring |
| Antonyms: | delight, please |