| Main Entry: | pick on |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | nag |
Synonyms: |
badger, bait, blame, bully, carp, cavil, criticize, find fault, foment, get at, get to, goad, hector, incite, instigate, pick at, provoke, quibble, start, tease, torment |
| 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: | 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 |
Antonyms: |
appease, gladden, make happy, mollify, soften |
| Main Entry: | ascertain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make sure |
Synonyms: |
catch on, check, check out*, check up on, confirm, determine, dig*, discover, divine, double-check, establish, eye*, eyeball, find out, fix, get down cold, get down pat, get hold of, get it down, get the hang of, identify, learn, learn the ropes, look-see, make certain, make sure, peg, pick up on, pick up*, read, see, settle, size, size up, tell, verify |
| 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: | 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: | discover |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | find, uncover |
Synonyms: |
ascertain, bring to light, catch, come across, come upon, conceive, contrive, debunk, design, detect, determine, devise, dig up, discern, disclose, distinguish, elicit, espy, explore, ferret out, get wind of, get wise to, glimpse, hear, identify, invent, learn, light upon, locate, look up, nose out, notice, observe, originate, perceive, pick up on, pioneer, realize, recognize, reveal, see, sense, smoke out, spot, think of, turn up, unearth |
Antonyms: |
lose, miss, pass by |
| Main Entry: | distinguish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | discern, identify |
Synonyms: |
beam*, catch, descry, detect, dig, discover, discriminate, eye, eyeball, flash*, focus, get a load of, get an eyeful, know, make out, mark, note, notice, observe, perceive, pick out, pick up on, read, recognize, remark, see, spot, spy, take in, tell, view |
| Main Entry: | distress |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | worry, upset |
Synonyms: |
afflict, aggrieve, agonize, ail, be on one's case, bother, break, bug, burn up, depress, desolate, discombobulate, disquiet, disturb, do a number on, dog*, eat*, get to, get*, give a hard time, grieve, harass, harry, hound, hurt, injure, irk, irritate, make it tough for, miff, nag, needle, nit-pick, oppress, pain, peeve, perplex, pester, pick on, plague, push, push buttons, rack, sadden, strain, strap, stress, tick off, torment, torture, trouble, try, vex, weigh, wound |
Antonyms: |
assist, calm, comfort, help, soothe |
| Main Entry: | ferret out |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | search out |
Synonyms: |
ascertain, be on to, bring to light, chase, chase down, determine, dig out, dig up, dig up, disclose, discover, drive out, elicit, extract, follow, get at, hunt, hunt down, learn, nose out, penetrate, pick up on, pierce, probe, pry, pursue, quest, root out, root out, scout out, search out, seek, smell out, smoke out, smoke out, sniff out, trace, track down, trail, uncover, unearth, worm out |