| Main Entry: | tease |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | aggravate, provoke |
Synonyms: |
annoy, badger, bait, banter, be at, bedevil, beleaguer, bother, chaff, devil, disturb, dog*, gibe, give a hard time, gnaw, goad, harass, harry, hector, importune, jive, josh, lead on, mock, needle, nudge, pester, pick on, plague, put down*, rag, rally, razz, rib, ride, ridicule, roast, send up, slam, snap, sound, spoof, swipe at, tantalize, taunt, torment, vex, worry |
| 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: | 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: | 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: | beleaguer |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | harass, besiege |
Synonyms: |
annoy, badger, bedevil, beset, blockade, bother, gnaw, harry, nag, persecute, pester, plague, put upon, set upon, siege, storm, tease, vex, worry |
| 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: | bully |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | domineering person |
Synonyms: |
annoyer, antagonizer, browbeater, bulldozer, coercer, harrier, hector, insolent, intimidator, oppressor, persecutor, pest, rascal, rowdy, ruffian, tease, tormenter, tough |
| Main Entry: | chaff |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | joke, ridicule |
Synonyms: |
banter, deride, fun, jeer, jolly, josh, kid, mock, rag, rally, razz, rib, scoff, taunt, tease |
| Main Entry: | coax |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | persuade |
Synonyms: |
allure, argue into, arm-twist, barter, beguile, blandish, blarney, butter up, cajole, come on, con, decoy, entice, flatter, get, hook, importune, induce, influence, inveigle, jawbone, lure, pester, plague, press, prevail upon, rope in, soft-soap, soothe, sweet-talk, talk into, tease, tempt, urge, wangle, wheedle, work on, worm |
Antonyms: |
allow, not care |