| Main Entry: | acerbate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | exasperate |
Synonyms: |
aggravate, annoy, disturb, perturb, provoke, rattle one's cage |
| Main Entry: | disrupt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | upset, disorganize |
Synonyms: |
agitate, bollix, confuse, disarray, discombobulate, discompose, disorder, disturb, mess up, mix up, muck up, muddle, muddy the waters, psych out, put off, rattle, rattle one's cage, rummage, screw up, shake, spoil, throw, unsettle, upset the apple cart |
Antonyms: |
arrange, organize, ready |
| Main Entry: | exacerbate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | infuriate; make worse |
Synonyms: |
add insult to injury, aggravate, annoy, egg on, embitter, enrage, envenom, exasperate, excite, fan the flames, feed the fire, go from bad to worse, heat up, heighten, hit on, increase, inflame, intensify, irritate, madden, provoke, push one's button, rattle one's cage, rub salt in a wound, vex, worsen |
| Notes: | to aggravate is to make something worse, while to exacerbate is to increase something's bitterness or harshness |
Antonyms: |
aid, calm, comfort, help, soothe |
| Main Entry: | harass |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | badger |
Synonyms: |
annoy, attack, bait, bedevil, beleaguer, bother, bug*, bullyrag, burn*, despoil, devil*, distress, disturb, eat*, exasperate, exhaust, fatigue, foray, get to, give a bad time, give a hard time, gnaw, harry, hassle, heckle, hound, intimidate, irk, irritate, jerk around, macerate, maraud, noodge, pain*, perplex, persecute, pester, plague, raid, rattle one's cage, ride, strain, stress, tease, tire, torment, trouble, try, vex, weary, work on, worry |
Antonyms: |
aid, assist, facilitate, help, support |
| Main Entry: | nonplus |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | confuse, perplex |
Synonyms: |
astonish, astound, baffle, balk, beat, bewilder, boggle, buffalo, confound, daze, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, dismay, dumbfound, embarrass, faze, floor*, flurry, fluster, frustrate, get*, mess with one's head, muddle, mystify, overcome, paralyze, puzzle, rattle, rattle one's cage, stagger, stick, stump, stun, stymie*, take aback, throw into tizzy, throw*, thwart |
Antonyms: |
clear up, educate, enlighten, explain |
| Main Entry: | rattle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disconcert, upset someone |
Synonyms: |
abash, addle, bewilder, bother, confound, confuse, discombobulate, discomfit, discompose, discountenance, distract, disturb, embarrass, faze, flummox, frighten, get to, muddle, nonplus, perplex, perturb, psych out, put off, put out, put out of countenance, rattle one's cage, scare, shake, throw, unnerve |
Antonyms: |
appease, placate, soothe |
| Main Entry: | ruffle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | upset, irritate |
Synonyms: |
abrade, agitate, anger, annoy, bluster, bother, browbeat, bully, chafe, confuse, cow*, disconcert, disquiet, disturb, excite, floor*, flummox, flurry, fluster, fret, fuddle, gall, get to, harass, intimidate, irk, nettle, peeve, perturb, provoke, put off, put out, rattle, rattle one's cage, shake up, stir, stump, throw into tizzy, torment, trouble, unsettle, vex, wear, worry |
Antonyms: |
calm, soothe |
| Main Entry: | get under one's skin |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | drive up the wall |
Synonyms: |
annoy, bother, exasperate, get in one's hair, infuriate, irk, irritate, madden, needle, pester, provoke, push one's buttons, rattle one's cage, rile, ruffle, upset, vex |