| Main Entry: | irritate |
| 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: | irritate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hurt, chafe |
Synonyms: |
aggravate, burn, erupt, fret, inflame, intensify, itch, pain, redden, rub, sensitize, sharpen, sting, swell |
Antonyms: |
aid, assist, calm, help, soothe |
| 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: | anger |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make someone mad; become mad |
Synonyms: |
acerbate, affront, aggravate, agitate, annoy, antagonize, arouse, bait, blow up, boil over, boil, bristle, burn, burn up, chafe, craze*, cross, displease, egg on, embitter, enrage, exacerbate, exasperate, excite, fret, gall, get mad, get on one's nerves, goad, incense, inflame, infuriate, irritate, lose one's temper, madden, make sore, miff, nettle, offend, outrage, pique, provoke, raise hell, rankle, rant, rave, rile, ruffle, seethe, steam up, stew, stir up, tempt, umbrage, vex |
Antonyms: |
calm, forbear, make happy, quiet, soothe |
| Main Entry: | antagonize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause problem; oppose |
Synonyms: |
alienate, anger, annoy, counteract, estrange, insult, irritate, neutralize, offend, repel, struggle, work against |
Antonyms: |
agree, aid, help |
| 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: | 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 |
Antonyms: |
amuse, charm, excite, interest, please |
| Main Entry: | bother |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | harass, annoy; give trouble |
Synonyms: |
afflict, aggravate, agitate, alarm, badger, bedevil, bore, browbeat, carp at, concern, cross, discommode, disconcert, disgust, dismay, displease, disquiet, distress, disturb, eat, embarrass, exacerbate, exasperate, goad, grate on, grieve, harry, hinder, hurt, impede, inconvenience, insult, intrude upon, irk, irritate, molest, nag, needle, nudge, pain, perplex, perturb, pester, pick on, plague, provoke, pursue, put out, ride, scare, spite, tantalize, taunt, tease, torment, trouble, upset, vex, worry |
Antonyms: |
aid, help, please |
| Main Entry: | bug |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bother, disturb |
Synonyms: |
abrade, annoy, badger, chafe, gall, get on someone, harass, irk, irritate, needle, nettle, pester, plague, provoke, vex |
Antonyms: |
not bother |
| Main Entry: | chafe |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | rub, grind against |
Synonyms: |
abrade, bark, corrode, damage, erode, excoriate, gall, grate, graze, hurt, impair, inflame, irritate, peel, ruffle, scrape, scratch, skin, wear |