| 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: | 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: | exasperate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | upset, provoke |
Synonyms: |
T-off, aggravate, agitate, anger, annoy, bug*, disturb, drive up the wall, embitter, enrage, exacerbate, excite, gall, get under one's skin, get*, incense, inflame, infuriate, irk, irritate, madden, make waves, needle, nettle, peeve, pique, rankle, rile, roil, rouse, try the patience of, vex, work up |
Antonyms: |
calm, comfort, ease, placate, please, soothe |
| 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 |
Antonyms: |
aid, assuage, delight, help, please |
| Main Entry: | peeve |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bother, annoy |
Synonyms: |
T-off, aggravate, anger, bug*, bum*, burn*, disturb, drive up the wall, exasperate, gall, get, get one's goat, hack*, irk, irritate, miff, nettle, pique, provoke, put out, rile, roil, rub the wrong way, steam, vex |
Antonyms: |
attract, charm, enchant, please |
| Main Entry: | persecute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wrong, torment |
Synonyms: |
afflict, aggrieve, annoy, badger, bait, be on one's case, beat, bother, crucify, distress, dog*, dragoon, drive up the wall, exile, expel, harass, hector, hound, hunt, ill-treat, injure, maltreat, martyr, molest, oppress, outrage, pester, pick on, plague, pursue, tease, torture, tyrannize, vex, victimize, worry |
Antonyms: |
comfort, commend, console, reward, soothe |
| Main Entry: | pester |
| 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: | rub the wrong way |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | irritate |
Synonyms: |
aggravate, anger, annoy, bother, bug*, disturb, drive up the wall, enrage, get on one's nerves, get to, get under one's skin, infuriate, irk, needle, pester, rattle, ruffle one's feathers |
| Main Entry: | torment |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | be or make very upset |
Synonyms: |
abuse, afflict, agonize, annoy, bait, bedevil, bone, bother, break, crucify, devil, distress, drive bananas, drive up the wall, excruciate, give a hard time, harass, harrow, harry, heckle, hound, hurt, irritate, mistreat, molest, nag, pain, persecute, pester, plague, play cat and mouse, provoke, punish, put through wringer, rack, rub salt in wound, smite, tease, torture, trouble, try, vex, worry, wring |
Antonyms: |
delight, make happy, please |
| Main Entry: | trouble |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bother, worry |
Synonyms: |
afflict, agitate, ail, annoy, bug*, burden, burn up, concern, discommode, discompose, disconcert, disoblige, disquiet, distress, disturb, drive up the wall, flip out, fret, get to, give a bad time, give a hard time, grieve, harass, harry, impose on, inconvenience, irk, irritate, make a fuss, make a scene, make waves, pain, perplex, perturb, pester, plague, psych, put out, sadden, spook, stir up, strain, stress, torment, try, upset, vex |
Antonyms: |
be content, be happy |