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noun
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- noun 2
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If you've ever brushed against nettles, you know those weeds have sharp bristles that can leave you smarting and itching. The painful and irritating rash that nettles cause can last for days, but at least it is a rash with a linguistic silver lining. The discomfort caused by nettles can serve to remind one that the verb nettle is a synonym of irritate. Nettle originated as a plant name that we can trace to the Old English word netel. Eventually, people likened the nagging itch caused by the plant to the nagging aggravation of being annoyed, and nettle became a synonym of vex, peeve, and of course irritate.
Synonyms
irritate, exasperate, nettle, provoke, rile, peeve mean to excite a feeling of anger or annoyance.
irritate implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from mere impatience to rage.
exasperate suggests galling annoyance and the arousing of extreme impatience.
nettle suggests a sharp but passing annoyance or stinging.
provoke implies an arousing of strong annoyance that may excite to action.
rile implies inducing an angry or resentful agitation.
peeve suggests arousing fretful often petty or querulous irritation.
Examples of nettle in a Sentence
Word History
Noun and Verb
Middle English, from Old English netel; akin to Old High German nazza nettle, Greek adikē
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing nettle
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Cite this Entry
“Nettle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nettle. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
Medical Definition
nettle
nounMore from Merriam-Webster on nettle
Nglish: Translation of nettle for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nettle
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