| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | harass, bother |
| Synonyms: | annoy, badger, bait, berate, bug*, carp at, dog*, eat*, egg, find fault, fuss, give a hard time, goad, harry, heckle, hector, hound, importune, irk, irritate, needle, nudge*, pester, pick at, plague, prod, provoke, ride, scold, take it out on, tease, torment, upbraid, urge, vex, work on, worry |
| Antonyms: | assuage, please |
| Main Entry: | aggravate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | annoy |
| Synonyms: | be at, be on the back of, bother, bug, bum*, dog, drive up the wall, exasperate, gall, get, get on one's nerves, get to, give a hard time, grate, hack, irk, irritate, nag, needle, nettle, peeve, pester, pick on, pique, provoke, tease, vex, wig |
| Notes: | to aggravate is to make something worse, while to exacerbate is to increase something's bitterness or harshness 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: | appease, gladden, make happy, mollify, soften |
| 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: | bait |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | needle |
| Synonyms: | anger, annoy, badger, bother, gall, harass, heckle, hound, irk, irritate, nag, persecute, provoke, tease, torment |
| Main Entry: | beg |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | request |
| Synonyms: | abjure, advocate, apply to, ask, beseech, besiege, call to, canvass, conjure, crave, desire, entreat, impetrate, implore, importune, invoke, nag, obsecrate, obtest, petition, plead, pray, press, requisition, solicit, sue, supplicate, urge, woo, worry |
| Antonyms: | answer |
| Main Entry: | beleaguer |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | harass, besiege |
| Synonyms: | annoy, badger, bedevil, beset, blockade, bother, gnaw, harry, nag, persecute, pester, plague, put upon, set upon, siege, storm, tease, vex, worry |
| Main Entry: | beset |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | plague; hem in |
| Synonyms: | aggress, assail, attack, badger, bedevil, beleaguer, besiege, bug*, circle*, compass, dog*, drive up the wall, embarrass, encircle, enclose, encompass, entangle, environ, fall on, fall upon, girdle, give a bad time, give a hard time, give one the business, give the needle, harass, harry, hassle, infest, invade, jump on one's case, nag, nudge, overrun, perplex, pester, pick on, put the squeeze on, ride, ring, start in on, storm, strike, surround |
| Main Entry: | besiege |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bother |
| Synonyms: | badger, beleaguer, bug*, buttonhole, harass, harry, hound, importune, nag, pester, plague, trouble |
| Antonyms: | leave alone |
| Main Entry: | bore |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | nuisance |
| Synonyms: | bother, bromide, bummer, creep*, deadhead, downer, drag*, drip*, dull person, flat tire, headache, nag, nudge, pain, pain in the neck, pest, pill, soporific, stuffed shirt, tedious person, tiresome person, wet blanket, wimp*, yawn |
| Notes: | a boar is a male pig; a boor is a person with rude, clumsy manners and little refinement; a bore is one that is wearingly dull, repetitive, or tedious |
| Antonyms: | charmer, exciter, pleasure |