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

Thompson has the Twitter edit from Roger Bacon assistant AD Brandon Spaeth featuring him holding a badger. — Scott Springer, Cincinnati.com, "Greater Cincinnati high school football athletes make recruiting visits, get offers," 20 Aug. 2019 There aren’t many left in California, but their industry is snuffed out as Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a new law pushed by environmentalists that bans all commercial trapping statewide of coyotes, foxes, beavers, badgers and other animals. — Mercury News Staff, The Mercury News, "Latest line: Uber drivers a winner, fur trappers a loser," 8 Sep. 2019 Or Mark Zuckerberg could go all honey badger about it and dare governments to come get him. — Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, "Libra, explained," 26 June 2019 My earliest memories of a packed lunch come courtesy of a precocious badger who was a very picky eater. — Kristen Hartke, BostonGlobe.com, "The best eco-friendly containers to save you from Sad Desk Lunch syndrome," 20 Aug. 2019 My earliest memories of a packed lunch come courtesy of a precocious badger who was a very picky eater. — Kristen Hartke, Washington Post, "The best eco-friendly containers to save you from Sad Desk Lunch syndrome," 20 Aug. 2019 The woman from the UK Independence Party, who champions culling badgers and hunting foxes, proudly tells the crowd her father was a farmer. — The Economist, "The Brecon by-election is a test for Britain’s next prime minister," 18 July 2019 While honey badgers are listed as of least concern by the IUCN, their Botswana population is on CITES Appendix III because of concerns that they would be exploited in other African countries for use in traditional medicine and as bushmeat. — Rachel Fobar, National Geographic, "What is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species?," 3 July 2019 The singer Patrick Stickles boasts a rabid-badger snarl, and his band’s ruckus is worthy of both humming along to and kicking walls to. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Political Punk Rock That Protests Its Own Singer," 21 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Trump has badgered the Federal Reserve to cut its policy rate, and market rates are low too. — Los Angeles Times, "U.S. budget deficit to top $1 trillion in 2020, two years sooner than expected," 21 Aug. 2019 Weist’s job seems to consist of badgering his charges to post more videos and herding them from one meet-and-greet to the next. — Los Angeles Times, "Review: ‘Jawline’ examines the fleeting fame of live streams," 21 Aug. 2019 Y’all have been badgering my ass to get a contract story the last three weeks. — Jori Epstein, USA TODAY, "LB Jaylon Smith, Dallas Cowboys agree to long-term contract extension," 20 Aug. 2019 In the series, Fairstein is shown badgering police and fellow prosecutors to secure confessions and to hide exculpatory evidence from the defense. — Martha Ross, The Mercury News, "Daughter’s high school graduation gives Felicity Huffman something to celebrate," 11 June 2019 Worried because there were only freshmen to replace him, the player approached Moore in chemistry class, badgering him to step in. — Andy Benoit, SI.com, "How Kenny Moore Became Football’s Unlikeliest of Heroes," 27 June 2019 June, whose anger is rich with possibility, is badgered into neutrality by the attentions of an insistent suitor. — Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, "Finding Refuge in “The Secret Life of Bees” and “Much Ado About Nothing”," 17 June 2019 In the series, the interrogation scenes are presented as a whirlpool of badgering, menace and cajoling. — Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc's Morning Line: Here's why the Cincinnati Reds' deal for Yasiel Puig was not bad," 8 June 2019 This kit from Van Der Hagen has everything dad needs to rediscover how refreshing a clean shave can be—safety razors, badger hair brushes, shave soap, and shaving mugs. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "31 Great Gifts for Father’s Day 2019," 5 June 2019

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.