needle

1 to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults we needled him mercilessly for thinking that he had any chance of being the prom date for the school's most popular girl Synonyms bait, hassle, haze, heckle, tease, ride, tauntRelated Words 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

2 to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders quit needling me! I'll take out the trash in a minute! Synonyms dog, henpeck, hound, nag, peck (at)Related Words carp (at), fuss (about or over), nitpick; annoy, badger, bait, bother, bug, chivy (or chivvy), harass, harry, hassle, irk, pester, plague, ride, vex, yap (at); egg, goad, incite, prod, prompt, spur, urge; exhort, insist, press, pressure, push; blandish, cajole, coax, wheedle; beg, importune, pleadNear Antonyms compliment; commend, laud, praise, recommend, tout; acclaim, applaud, build up, eulogize, extol (also extoll)