The meaning of Bait

verb

Make (someone) a little angry; irritate.

Usage examples:

The decision really annoyed him

verb

To make someone slightly angry or upset

Usage examples:

I know you’re doing this only to annoy me., [ u ] as soon as he saw me, a look of annoyance crossed…

noun

A heavily built omnivorous nocturnal mammal of the weasel family, typically having a grey and black coat.

Usage examples:

They do, however, both belong to the same mustelidae family which also encompasses badgers, skunks …

verb

Repeatedly ask (someone) to do something; pester.

Usage examples:

Tom had finally badgered her into going

noun

An animal that digs holes in the ground, where it lives, and comes out at night to feed

Usage examples:

He badgered officials at the american embassy to help.

noun

A bird or mammal, or an imitation of one, used by hunters to attract other birds or mammals.

Usage examples:

A decoy duck

verb

Lure or entice (a person or animal) away from their intended course, typically into a trap.

Usage examples:

They would try to decoy the enemy towards the hidden group

noun

Something used to trick or confuse a person or animal

Usage examples:

He carves duck decoys for hunters.

verb

(of a bird, bat, or insect) move through the air using wings.

Usage examples:

Close the door or the moths will fly in

noun

An opening at the crotch of a pair of trousers, closed with a zip or buttons and typically covered with a flap.

Usage examples:

Interesting alternatives are velcro straps or, if the shorts fit perfectly, stylish button flies.

noun

A flying insect of a large order characterized by a single pair of transparent wings and sucking (and often also piercing) mouthparts. flies are of great importance as vectors of disease.

Usage examples:

Almost 40 years ago ed lewis discovered a remarkable fly that differs from an ordinary fly by one e…

idiom

To make things difficult or unpleasant for someone

Usage examples:

Her kids always give her a hard time when she takes them shopping., my mother gave me a really hard…

idiom

To make things difficult or unpleasant for someone

Usage examples:

Her kids always give her a hard time when she takes them shopping., my mother gave me a really hard…

verb

Provoke or annoy (someone) so as to stimulate an action or reaction.

Usage examples:

He was trying to goad her into a fight

noun

A spiked stick used for driving cattle.

Usage examples:

The ripon report suggests widespread use of sticks and electric goads, and says that some animals h…

verb

Subject to aggressive pressure or intimidation.

Usage examples:

Being harassed at work can leave you feeling confused and helpless

verb

Annoy continually or chronically

verb

To annoy or trouble someone repeatedly

Usage examples:

He claimed that the police continued to harass foreign journalists., she felt she was being harasse…

verb

Persistently carry out attacks on (an enemy or an enemy's territory).

Usage examples:

The raiders then spent three months harrying and burning the area

verb

To repeatedly demand something from someone, often causing them to feel worried or angry

Usage examples:

She harried the authorities, writing letters and gathering petitions.

noun

Irritating inconvenience.

Usage examples:

The hassle of child care

verb

Harass; pester.

Usage examples:

You want to sit and relax and not get hassled

noun

A situation that causes difficulty or trouble, or an argument

Usage examples:

Bad weather was the major hassle during our trip., i got into a hassle with my father about being l…

noun

A dog of a breed used for hunting, especially one able to track by scent.

Usage examples:

A hound came running through the trees, nose to the ground

verb

Harass, persecute, or pursue relentlessly.

Usage examples:

She was hounded by the italian press

verb

Make (someone) annoyed or a little angry.

Usage examples:

His tone irritated her

verb

To annoy or make angry

Usage examples:

After a while the noise began to irritate him., at first my contact lenses irritated my eyes.

noun

A lively dance with leaping movements.

Usage examples:

They twitched, swayed and finally did a lively little jig - but there was no bird in sight.

verb

Dance a jig.

Usage examples:

He stood up and jigged in the cockpit

noun

An energetic, traditional dance of great britain and ireland, or the music that is played for such a dance

verb

Tempt (a person or animal) to do something or to go somewhere, especially by offering some form of reward.

Usage examples:

The child was lured into a car but managed to escape

noun

Something that tempts or is used to tempt a person or animal to do something.

Usage examples:

The film industry always has been a glamorous lure for young girls

noun

Variant spelling of lur.

noun

A police informer.

Usage examples:

I'm not a copper's nark

verb

Cause annoyance to.

Usage examples:

Women like her nark me

noun

Another term for narc.

noun

A very fine slender piece of polished metal with a point at one end and a hole or eye for thread at the other, used in sewing.

Usage examples:

A darning needle

verb

Prick or pierce with or as if with a needle.

Usage examples:

Dust needled his eyes

verb

A sharp pointed implement

verb

Subject (someone) to hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of their race or political or religious beliefs.

Usage examples:

His followers were persecuted by the authorities

verb

To treat people unfairly or cruelly over a period of time because of their race, religion, etc.

Usage examples:

She claimed the government was persecuting its opponents., political/religious persecution, given t…

phrasal verb

Repeatedly single someone out for criticism or unkind treatment in a way perceived to be unfair.

Usage examples:

No one is picking on you—we're trying to help

phrasal verb

Choose someone or something from a number of alternatives.

Usage examples:

I have a tendency to pick on something small and mull it over for far too long

phrasal verb

To criticize, annoy, or punish someone repeatedly and unfairly

Usage examples:

He gets picked on because he’s small.

noun

A contagious bacterial disease characterized by fever and delirium, typically with the formation of buboes (bubonic plague) and sometimes infection of the lungs (pneumonic plague).

Usage examples:

Person-to-person spread of bubonic or septicemic plague does not occur; however, pneumonic plague i…

verb

A contagious bacterial disease characterized by fever and delirium, typically with the formation of buboes ( bubonic plague ) and sometimes infection of the lungs ( pneumonic plague ).

verb

To cause someone or something difficulty or suffering, esp. repeatedly or continually

Usage examples:

Financial problems have been plaguing the company., that pain in my shoulder is plaguing me again.,…

noun

A piece of solid material fitting tightly into a hole and blocking it up.

Usage examples:

Somewhere in the pipes there is a plug of ice blocking the flow

verb

Short for fireplug.

verb

Stimulate or give rise to (a reaction or emotion, typically a strong or unwelcome one) in someone.

Usage examples:

The decision provoked a storm of protest from civil rights organizations

verb

Provide the needed stimulus for

verb

To try to make a person or an animal angry or annoyed

Usage examples:

He was trying to provoke me into a fight., i’m trying to make people think, provoke their emotions.…

noun

A remark made in order to anger, wound, or provoke someone.

Usage examples:

Pupils will play truant rather than face the taunts of classmates about their ragged clothes

verb

Provoke or challenge (someone) with insulting remarks.

Usage examples:

Pupils began taunting her about her weight

verb

Harass with persistent criticism or carping

verb

Make fun of or attempt to provoke (a person or animal) in a playful way.

Usage examples:

I used to tease her about being so house-proud

noun

A person who makes fun of someone playfully or unkindly.

Usage examples:

Some think of him as a tease who likes to keep others guessing

verb

Mock or make fun of playfully

noun

A person who makes fun of or provokes others in a playful or unkind way.

Usage examples:

In an odd way, both the teasers and supporters appear to help youths keep pledges.

noun

→  teaser ad

Usage examples:

The government should ban unfair teasers that encourage people to make risky investments.

noun

Severe physical or mental suffering.

Usage examples:

Their deaths have left both families in torment

verb

Cause to experience severe mental or physical suffering.

Usage examples:

He was tormented by jealousy

noun

Great mental or physical suffering, or something that causes such pain

Usage examples:

[ u ] after three days of torment, she went to a dentist., [ c ] that child acts like it’s a tormen…

noun

The action or practice of inflicting severe pain or suffering on someone as a punishment or in order to force them to do or say something.

Usage examples:

The torture of political prisoners

verb

Inflict severe pain or suffering on.

Usage examples:

Most of the victims had been brutally tortured

noun

An injury or severe mental pain

Usage examples:

[ c ] all drivers suffer the tortures of traffic and bad weather., [ u ] the museum has many exampl…

noun

(in folklore) an ugly creature depicted as either a giant or a dwarf.

Usage examples:

Nobody was allowed to cross the bridge without the troll's permission

verb

Make a deliberately offensive or provocative online post with the aim of upsetting someone or eliciting an angry response from them.

Usage examples:

If people are obviously trolling then i'll delete your posts and do my best to ban you

verb

To fish from a boat that is moving slowly in the water and pulling a fishing line (= length of string with something attached that attracts fish) behind it

Usage examples:

Many of his friends had large boats, and they frequently traveled together trolling for mackerel.