| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | upset, anger |
| Synonyms: | abrade, affront, aggravate, annoy, bother, bug*, burn*, chafe, confuse, distemper, disturb, drive up the wall, enrage, exasperate, fret, gall, get, get on nerves, get under skin, grate, harass, incense, inflame, infuriate, irk, madden, needle, nettle, offend, pain, peeve, pester, pique, provoke, put out, rankle, rasp, rattle, rile, roil, rub the wrong way, ruffle, sour, try, vex |
| Notes: | 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: | aid, assuage, delight, help, please |
| Main Entry: | paw |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | touch roughly |
| Synonyms: | clap, claw, clutch, dig, feel, finger, fondle, grab, grate, grope, handle, hit, maul, molest, palpate, pat, rake, rasp, rub, scratch, search, slap, smite, stroke |
| Antonyms: | manhandle |
| Main Entry: | powder |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | crush into fine grains; sprinkle fine grains |
| Synonyms: | abrade, bray, comminute, cover, crumble, crunch, dredge, dust, file, flour, granulate, grate, grind, pestle, pound, pulverize, rasp, reduce, scatter, scrape, smash, strew, triturate |
| Antonyms: | solidify |
| Main Entry: | rake |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | scrape up, hoe |
| Synonyms: | break up, clean up, clear, clear up, collect, comb, enfilade, examine, fine-comb, fine-tooth-comb, gather, grade, graze, grub, harrow, hunt, ransack, rasp, remove, rummage, scan, scour, scrape, scratch, scrutinize, search, smooth, sweep, weed |
| Main Entry: | rub |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stroke, massage |
| Synonyms: | abrade, anoint, apply, bark, brush, buff, burnish, caress, chafe, clean, coat, cover, curry, daub, erase, erode, excoriate, file, fray, fret, furbish, glance, glaze, gloss, grate, graze, grind, knead, mop, paint, pat, plaster, polish, put, rasp, scour, scrape, scrub, shine, slather, smear, smooth, spread, swab, triturate, wear, wear down, wipe |
| Main Entry: | scrape |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | scratch, remove outer layer |
| Synonyms: | abrade, bark, bray, chafe, clean, erase, file, grate, graze, grind, irritate, pare, peel, rasp, rub, scour, scuff, shave, skin, squeak, thin, triturate |
| Antonyms: | smoothe |
| Main Entry: | scratch |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cut; make a mark on |
| Synonyms: | claw, damage, etch, grate, graze, incise, lacerate, mark, prick, rasp, rub, scarify, score, scrape, scrawl, scribble |
| Antonyms: | heal, mend, smooth |
| Main Entry: | squeal |
| Part of Speech: | noun, verb |
| Definition: | yell in a loud and high-pitched manner |
| Synonyms: | bleat, cheep, creak, grate, howl, peep, rasp, scream, scream bloody murder, screech, shout, shriek, shrill, squawk, wail, yelp, yip, yowl |
| Main Entry: | vex |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | distress, bother |
| Synonyms: | abrade, afflict, aggravate, agitate, anger, annoy, be at, chafe, depress, displease, disquiet, disturb, eat*, embarrass, exasperate, fret, gall*, get in one's hair, get under one's skin, give a bad time, give a hard time, grate on, harass, harry, hassle, infuriate, irk, irritate, molest, needle, nettle, offend, peeve, perplex, pester, pique, plague, provoke, put out, rasp, ride, rile, tease, tick off, torment, trouble, turn off, upset, worry |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, help, please, soothe |