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
• 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.

Related 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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of badger

Verb

Yet the badgering persisted, and the Armstead family decided to move elsewhere On May 1, 2020, Miles Armstead returned to that vacant house and began preparing it to be sold. —Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2025

My oldest child is in a relationship and has been badgering me about wanting to bring his girlfriend. —Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 15 May 2025

Noun

Forget about the cheetah’s speed, the eagle’s eyesight or the elephant’s brute strength, and say hello to the invisible glass frog, the indestructible honey badger and the pistol shrimp who can fire bubbles that are as hot as the surface of the sun. —Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025

Chavis told the hard-hitting yet undersized safety to embrace the ethos of a honey badger, which fearlessly takes on venomous cobras and swaths of bees without fear of repercussion. —Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 14 May 2025