| Main Entry: | needle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | tease, annoy |
Synonyms: |
aggravate, badger, bait, bedevil, bother, examine, gnaw, goad, harass, hector, irk, irritate, nag, nettle, pester, plague, prick, prod, provoke, question, quiz, ride*, rile, ruffle, spur, sting, taunt, tweak*, worry |
Antonyms: |
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 |
| 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: | anxiety |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | worry, tension |
Synonyms: |
all-overs, angst, ants in pants, apprehension, botheration, butterflies, care, cold sweat, concern, creeps, disquiet, disquietude, distress, doubt, downer, drag*, dread, fidgets, flap, foreboding, fretfulness, fuss, goose bumps, heebie-jeebies, jitters, jumps, misery, misgiving, mistrust, nail-biting, needles, nervousness, panic, pins and needles, restlessness, shakes, shivers, solicitude, suffering, suspense, sweat*, trouble, uncertainty, unease, uneasiness, watchfulness, willies, worriment |
Antonyms: |
assurance, calmness, composure, contentment, ease, happiness, nonchalance, peace, tranquility |
| Main Entry: | ask |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | question |
Synonyms: |
buzz*, canvass, catechize, challenge, cross-examine, demand, direct, enjoin, examine, give the third degree, go over, grill, hit*, hunt for, inquire, institute, interrogate, investigate, needle, pick one's brains, pop the question, pry into, pump, put the screws to, put through the wringer, query, quiz, request, roast, sweat* |
Antonyms: |
answer, claim, command, insist, reply, repudiate, tell |
| 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: | 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: | dilute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make thinner; weaken |
Synonyms: |
adulterate, alter, attenuate, cook, cut, decrease, deliquesce, diffuse, diminish, doctor up, doctor*, irrigate, lace, lessen, liquefy, mitigate, mix, moderate, modify, needle, phony up, plant, qualify, reduce, shave, spike, temper, water, water down |
Antonyms: |
concentrate, strengthen, thicken |
| 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 |