Synonyms of badger

badger 1 of 2

verb

as in to tease

to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders

He's always badgering me about the dishes.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tease
• hound
• devil
• harass
• pester
• nag
• plague
• annoy
• harry
• bait
• bother
• worry
• egg
• irritate
• goad
• heckle
• urge
• ballyrag
• insist
• prod
• bullyrag
• incite
• spur
• push
• prompt
• anger
• hassle
• insult
• rouse
• upset
• pressure
• provoke
• infuriate
• antagonize
• hagride
• exhort
• press
• enrage
• distress
• inflame
• enflame
• rankle
• discomfort
• madden
• bug
• agitate
• incense
• perturb
• offend
• roil
• unsettle
• exercise
• undo
• discompose
• outrage
• unhinge
• affront
• disquiet
• persecute
• rile
• aggravate
• freak (out)
• spite
• vex
• fret
• frost
• itch
• gripe
• gall
• ruffle
• eat
• irk
• hack (off)
• exasperate
• put out
• burn (up)
• grate
• nettle
• miff
• rasp
• chafe
• nark
• pique
• peeve
• get

badger

2 of 2

noun

as in rabbit

the pelt or fur of a badger

The boutique features a variety of scarfs, including badger, fox, and ermine.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rabbit
• fox
• raccoon
• marten
• otter
• beaver
• sheep
• alligator
• crocodile
• mink
• fisher
• racoon
• seal
• muskrat
• chamois
• chinchilla
• ermine
• sable
• bearskin
• sheepskin
• karakul
• Persian lamb
• pigskin
• sealskin
• fleece
• deerskin
• goatskin
• rawhide
• coonskin
• snakeskin
• calfskin
• doeskin
• lambskin
• sharkskin
• horsehide
• kidskin
• leather
• buckskin
• cowhide
• pelt
• morocco
• kolinsky
• mouton
• patent leather
• suede
• hide
• fur
• skin
• cordovan

Synonym Chooser

How is the word badger distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of badger are bait, chivy, heckle, hector, and hound. While all these words mean "to harass by efforts to break down," badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

When could bait be used to replace badger?

The words bait and badger are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

When might chivy be a better fit than badger?

The words chivy and badger can be used in similar contexts, but chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

When is it sensible to use heckle instead of badger?

The synonyms heckle and badger are sometimes interchangeable, but heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

In what contexts can hector take the place of badger?

Although the words hector and badger have much in common, hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

When would hound be a good substitute for badger?

The meanings of hound and badger largely overlap; however, hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

hounded by creditors

Examples of badger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Dramas set in police stations tend to do the same, with incredulous detectives and attorneys badgering widows, witnesses, and even victims with zero consideration for the consequences. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 2 Aug. 2024

Schoolmates of both chime in, with Bessette-Kennedy’s college friend Sasha Chermayeff detailing the anxiety inherent in being constantly badgered, which led Carolyn to worry about being kidnapped. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 12 July 2024

Noun

Yellowstone is crawling with apex predators, and everyone at the campsite likely assumed that Rayne Beau became a tasty snack for a grizzly or a badger. —Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 1 Oct. 2024

The bosses who caught them are more likely to be coffee badgers themselves, as 47% of managers are coffee badging, compared to 34% of individual contributors. —Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024