| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | depress, subdue |
| Synonyms: | abuse, afflict, aggrieve, annoy, beat down, burden, crush, despotize, dishearten, dispirit, distress, encumber, force, handicap, harass, harry, hound, keep down, maltreat, outrage, overcome, overload, overpower, overthrow, overwhelm, persecute, pick on, plague, press, prey on, put down, put screws to, put the squeeze on, put upon, ride, rule, sadden, saddle, smother, strain, subjugate, suppress, tax, torment, torture, trample, trouble, tyrranize, vex, weigh heavy upon, worry, wrong |
| Antonyms: | aid, boost, delight, gladden, help, make happy |
| Main Entry: | abuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack with words |
| Synonyms: | backbite, bad-mouth, bash, belittle, berate, blow off, calumniate, cap, castigate, cuss out, cut down, cut to the quick, decry, defame, derogate, discount, do a number on, dump on, give a black eye, hurl brickbat, insult, knock*, minimize, nag, offend, oppress, persecute, pick on, put down*, rag on, reproach, revile, ride*, rip up, run down, scold, signify, slam*, slap, sling mud, smear, sound*, swear at, tear apart, trash*, upbraid, vilify, vituperate, zing |
| Notes: | abuse carries with it some sense of harm; misuse refers to an incorrect use that may not lead to harm to misuse is to use something wrongly, to abuse is to misuse something so badly that you damage it |
| Antonyms: | acclaim, adulate, approve, commend, compliment, praise |
| Main Entry: | afflict |
| 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: | boss around |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bully |
| Synonyms: | browbeat, bulldoze, dominate, domineer, dragoon, oppress, order around, push around, tyrannize |
| Main Entry: | browbeat |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | castigate, nag |
| Synonyms: | badger, bludgeon, bluster, bulldoze, bully, coerce, cow, despotize, domineer, dragoon, frighten, harass, hector, intimidate, lean on, lord it over, oppress, overawe, overbear, put heat on, put the chill on, put through the wringer, threaten, tyrannize |
| Antonyms: | boost, coax, compliment, praise |
| Main Entry: | bully |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | intimidate, push around |
| Synonyms: | bludgeon, bluster, browbeat, buffalo, bulldoze, coerce, cow, despotize, domineer, dragoon, enforce, harass, hector, lean on, menace, oppress, overbear, persecute, ride roughshod, showboat, swagger, terrorize, threaten, torment, torture, turn on the heat, tyrannize, walk heavy |
| Antonyms: | allow, leave alone |
| Main Entry: | burden |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | encumber, strain |
| Synonyms: | afflict, bear down on, bother, crush, cumber, depress, dish it out, dish out, dump on, encumber, give it to, hamper, handicap, hinder, impede, lade, load, make heavy, obligate, oppress, overcharge, overload, overwhelm, pile, press, saddle with, snow under, snow*, stick it to, strain, tax, trouble, try, vex, weigh down, worry |
| Antonyms: | aid, help, relieve |
| Main Entry: | command |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | rule, have power |
| Synonyms: | administer, boss, charge, check, coach, coerce, compel, conduct, conquer, constrain, control, curb, determine, dictate, direct, dominate, domineer, exact, exercise power, force, govern, guide, have authority, head, hinder, hold office, influence, lead, manage, officiate, oppress, overbear, override, predominate, prescribe, preside over, prevail, push, regulate, reign, reign over, repress, restrain, run, stop, subdue, superintend, supervise, sway, take over, tyrannize, wield |
| Notes: | an order is being told to do something with no specific guidelines, a command is being told to do something in a specific way, and a directive is being told to do something and getting this information through channels |
| Antonyms: | follow |
| Main Entry: | depress |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | deject, make despondent; exhaust |
| Synonyms: | abase, afflict, ail, bear down, beat, beat down, bother, bug*, bum out, cast down, chill*, cow*, damp, dampen, darken, daunt, debase, debilitate, degrade, desolate, devitalize, discourage, dishearten, dismay, dispirit, distress, disturb, drag*, drain, dull, enervate, faze, keep under, lower, mock, mortify, oppress, perturb, press, put down*, reduce, reduce to tears, run down, sadden, sap*, scorn, slow, throw cold water on, torment, trouble, try, turn one off, upset, weaken, weary, weigh down |
| Antonyms: | cheer, comfort, encourage, excite, lift, make happy, stimulate |