| Main Entry: | |
| 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: | 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: | badger |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | nag, bother |
| Synonyms: | annoy, bait, bug, bully, eat*, give the business, goad, harass, harry, hassle, heckle, hound, importune, insist on, needle, nudge, pester, plague, ride, tease, torment, work on |
| 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: | bombard |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | assault, attack |
| Synonyms: | assail, barrage, batter, beset, besiege, blast, blitz, bomb, cannonade, catapult, fire upon, harass, hound, launch, open fire, pester, pound, shell, strafe, strike |
| Main Entry: | bore |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause weariness, disinterest |
| Synonyms: | afflict, annoy, be tedious, bend one's ear, bother, burn out, cloy, discomfort, drag, exhaust, fatigue, irk, irritate, jade, pall, pester, put to sleep, send to sleep, talk one's ear off, tire, trouble, turn one off, vex, wear, wear out, weary, worry |
| 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: | amuse, charm, excite, interest, please |