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bait

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of bait

1 something used to attract animals to a hook or into a trap

  • cheese is the traditional bait for trapping mice
Synonyms of bait

decoy, lure
Words Related to bait

ambush, net, trap

hook, snare, troll

plug, scent, spinner, stool pigeon

appeal, attraction, call, draw, incentive, pull

enticement, seducement, seduction, temptation

entanglement, entrapment
Near Antonyms of bait

repellent (also repellant)

2 something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain

  • the promise of free vacation is surefire bait to get people to agree to be chaperones for school trips
Synonyms of bait

allurement, come-on, enticement, lure, siren song, temptation, turn-on
Words Related to bait

appeal, call

attraction, boost, encouragement, goad, impetus, impulse, incentive, inducement, motivation, persuasion, seducement, seduction, spur, stimulus

decoy, snare, trap

entrapment, mousetrap
Near Antonyms of bait

alarm (also alarum), alert, caution, forewarning, notice, warning

bait

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of bait

1 to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults

  • I wished the candidates would stop baiting each other and instead address the real issues
Synonyms of bait

hassle, haze, heckle, needle, ride, taunt, tease
Words Related to bait

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
Phrases Synonymous with bait

make game of, pick on

2 to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage

  • the investment scheme cunningly baits the greedy and the unscrupulous
Synonyms of bait

allure, beguile, betray, decoy, entice, lead on, lure, seduce, solicit, tempt
Words Related to bait

draw in, inveigle, persuade, rope (in), snow

catch, enmesh (also immesh), ensnare, entrap, mesh, snare, tangle, trap

bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, fascinate, magnetize, wile
Near Antonyms of bait

alert, caution, forewarn, ward (off), warn

drive (away or off), repulse, turn away

Synonym Discussion of bait

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

Learn More about bait

  1. See words that rhyme with bait Dictionary: Definition of bait Spanish Central: Translation of bait Nglish: Translation of bait for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bait for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bait

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