needle

1 to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults <we needled him mercilessly for thinking that he had any chance of being the prom date for the school's most popular girl> Synonyms bait, hassle, haze, heckle, tease, ride, tauntRelated Words deride, gibe (or jibe), jeer, mock, ridicule; annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, fret, frost, gall, get, gnaw (at), grate, gripe, hack (off), hagride, irk, irritate, itch, nag, nark [British], nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, spite, trouble, vex; aggravate, exasperate, goad, test, try; aggrieve, agitate, bedevil, beleaguer, discomfort, disturb, perturb; badger, dog, hound; browbeat, bully, hector; harass, harry, persecute, plague, terrorize, torment, torture

2 to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders <quit needling me! I'll take out the trash in a minute!> Synonyms dog, henpeck, hound, nag, peck (at)Related Words carp (at), fuss (about or over), nitpick; annoy, badger, bait, bother, bug, chivy (or chivvy), harass, harry, hassle, irk, pester, plague, ride, vex, yap (at); egg, goad, incite, prod, prompt, spur, urge; exhort, insist, press, pressure, push; blandish, cajole, coax, wheedle; beg, importune, pleadNear Antonyms compliment; commend, laud, praise, recommend, tout; acclaim, applaud, build up, eulogize, extol (also extoll)