| 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: | pester |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bother, harass |
| Synonyms: | annoy, badger, be at, bedevil, beleaguer, bug*, disturb, dog*, drive crazy, drive up the wall, fret, get at, get in one's hair, get on one's nerves, get to, harry, hassle, hector, hound, importune, insist, irk, mess with, nag, nudge, pick at, plague, provoke, remind, ride*, tantalize, tease, torment, work on, worry |
| Antonyms: | delight, make happy, please |
| Main Entry: | provoke |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make angry |
| Synonyms: | abet, abrade, affront, aggravate, anger, annoy, bother, bug*, chafe, enrage, exasperate, exercise, foment, fret, gall*, get on one's nerves, get under one's skin, get*, grate, hit where one lives, incense, incite, inflame, infuriate, insult, irk, irritate, madden, make blood boil, make waves, nag, offend, perturb, pique, put out, raise, rile, roil, ruffle, set on, set*, try one's patience, upset, vex, whip up, work into lather, work up |
| Notes: | provoke means to stir up or arouse - or to incite to anger or resentment; evoke means to call forth or call to mind emotions, feelings, and responses |
| Antonyms: | delight, make happy, please |
| Main Entry: | remonstrate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | argue against |
| Synonyms: | animadvert, blame, censure, challenge, combat, complain, criticize, decry, demur, deprecate, disapprove, disparage, dispute, dissent, except, expostulate, fight, find fault, frown upon, inveigh, kick*, nag, object, oppose, pick at, protest, rain, recriminate, resist, scold, sound off, take exception, take issue, withstand |
| Antonyms: | agree, concede, give in |
| Main Entry: | scold |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | find fault with |
| Synonyms: | abuse, admonish, asperse, berate, blame, castigate, cavil, censure, chasten, chide, criticize, denounce, disparage, dress down, expostulate, give a talking-to, jump on, keep aft, lay down the law, lecture, light into, nag, objurate, preach, put down, rail, rake over the coals, rate, ream, rebuke, recriminate, reprimand, reproach, reprobate, reprove, revile, take to task, taunt, tell off, upbraid, vilify, vituperate |
| Antonyms: | compliment, flatter, praise |
| Main Entry: | torment |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | be or make very upset |
| Synonyms: | abuse, afflict, agonize, annoy, bait, bedevil, bone, bother, break, crucify, devil, distress, drive bananas, drive up the wall, excruciate, give a hard time, harass, harrow, harry, heckle, hound, hurt, irritate, mistreat, molest, nag, pain, persecute, pester, plague, play cat and mouse, provoke, punish, put through wringer, rack, rub salt in wound, smite, tease, torture, trouble, try, vex, worry, wring |
| Notes: | torment suggests persecution or the repeated inflicting of suffering or annoyance; torture adds the implication of causing unbearable pain or suffering |
| Antonyms: | delight, make happy, please |
| Main Entry: | harp on |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | repeat |
| Synonyms: | bother, disturb, dwell on, dwell upon, harp upon, nag, pester |
| Main Entry: | hector |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bully |
| Synonyms: | badger, bait, bluster, browbeat, dominate, harass, heckle, intimidate, irritate, nag, plague, ride, swagger, tease, torment, worry |
| Main Entry: | crab |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | complain |
| Synonyms: | bellyache, carp, criticize, fuss, gripe, grumble, grump, moan, nag, whine |