badger

noun

bad·ger | \ˈba-jər

Definition of badger

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : any of various burrowing mammals (especially Taxidea taxus and Meles meles) of the weasel family that are widely distributed in the northern hemisphere

b : the pelt or fur of a badger

2 capitalized : a native or resident of Wisconsin —used as a nickname

badger

verb

badgered; badgering; badgers

Definition of badger (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to harass or annoy persistently … the mill foreman so taunted the workers, so badgered them and told them that they dared not quit …— Sinclair Lewis

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Choose the Right Synonym for badger

Verb

bait, badger, heckle, hector, chivy, hound mean to harass by efforts to break down. bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim. baited the chained dog badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy. badgered her father for a car heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker. drunks heckled the stand-up comic hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering. football players hectored by their coach chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging. chivied the new student mercilessly hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing. hounded by creditors

Examples of badger in a Sentence

Verb

She finally badgered me into cutting my hair.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Personal grooming for guys could become pricier since hair clippers and electric shavers are on the new list, as are items such as badger hair and boar bristle that are used in old-fashioned shaving brushes. — Bruce Einhorn, latimes.com, "Trump's trade war is about to hit home — and your home is no exception," 11 July 2018 Hipsters and anyone else coveting the porous, soft-tipped luxury of badger-hair shaving brushes may be among the commenters, as the bristles also made the list published by the U.S. Trade Representative's office. — Dave Mccombs And Andrew Hobbs, chicagotribune.com, "Badger hair, bull semen, MSG among products on Trump's China tariff list," 11 July 2018 Dachshunds, which were bred in the Middle Ages to flush badgers out of their burrows, are the 13th most popular dog breed, according to the American Kennel Club. — Laura M. Holson, New York Times, "That Shaggy Mutt? At Dog Museums, Our Drooling Companions Are the Stars," 22 Apr. 2018 Worse, humans also hunt the animals — deer, badgers and hares — that wild Amur feed on. — Bradley J. Fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "For the Fourth, bring out the (San Diego Zoo) babies!," 3 July 2018 Some men love the ritual of the badger brush and lathering up, etc.). — Ellen Warren, chicagotribune.com, "Is a 3-day beard a deal breaker — or just scruffy enough?," 2 July 2018 The population of animals like polecats, pine martens and badgers have sprung back, now that they are not longer widely trapped or killed for being pests. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "The UK’s Hedgehogs (and Other Mammals) Are In Danger," 16 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Some said Strauss groped them barehanded during physicals, had them drop their pants even while examining them for a cough or heartburn, and badgered students to go home with him. — James Freeman, WSJ, "Jim Jordan and Ohio State," 10 July 2018 While Republicans badgered Strzok and tried to catch him off-guard, Democrats mostly used their time to argue for the importance of the Mueller investigation. — Aaron Blake, BostonGlobe.com, "6 key moments from Peter Strzok’s wild hearing," 12 July 2018 Officials cited examples such as whistling at a woman, badgering her for her phone number or following her on the street. — Amanda Erickson, Washington Post, "France takes a step forward in fighting catcallers but falls short on setting age of consent," 20 May 2018 Some said Strauss groped them barehanded during physicals, had them drop their pants even while examining them for a cough or heartburn, and badgered students to go home with him. — James Freeman, WSJ, "Jim Jordan and Ohio State," 10 July 2018 The honey badger, known for being an aggressive animal, got into a tussle with an antelope at Etosha National Park in Namibia. — Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, "Antelope sends honey badger flying in epic fight," 6 July 2018 Jordan badgered Rosenstein for several minutes, clearly trying to get under his skin. — Aaron Blake, Washington Post, "Rod Rosenstein shuts down Jim Jordan over Fox News report," 28 June 2018 Perhaps if Rattín had simply got on with the game, rather than spending his time badgering the referee, Argentina could have beaten England or, at the very least, taken them all the way to the lottery of a coin toss. — SI.com, "World Cup Countdown: 8 Days to Go - What if Antonio Rattín Hadn’t Been Sent Off?," 6 June 2018 The 2018 emoji, initially announced in February, also include a woman's flat shoe, a pirate flag, a tooth, a bone, toilet paper, a microbe, a peacock, badger, raccoon, swan, salt, skateboard and more. — Melinda Morris, NOLA.com, "New emoji: redheads, mosquito and a sweaty, hot face," 1 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'badger.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.