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.

Related Words

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

Related Words

• rabbit
• fox
• raccoon
• marten
• otter
• beaver
• sheep
• alligator
• mink
• crocodile
• fisher
• 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
• buckskin
• leather
• 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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of badger

Verb

The coding craze spread quickly, from parents badgering their kids to drop the English major and opt for a STEM degree—and former President Barack Obama even urged people to learn to code. —Jake Angelo, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026

But players – Seahawks, Patriots, and any others past and present – have been badgered by reporters all week about whether an electrical substation next to the 49ers’ practice field is sabotaging players’ health. —Cam Inman, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026

Noun

Otters are part of the weasel family (Mustelidae), which includes some of nature’s most ferocious pint-sized predators, such as badgers, martens, and wolverines. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026

The Eastern Colorado prairie was once carpeted with a mix of hardy grasses, flowering plants, and small shrubs that supported great herds of bison and pronghorn, abundant prairie dog colonies, predators like coyotes, foxes, and badgers, as well as numerous bird species, reptiles, and insects. —Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026