What is another word for persecute ?

To harass or annoy (someone) persistently

make things hot for someone

terrorise^UK

terrorize^US

make it hot for someone

give someone the hump

tyrannize^US

antagonize^US

tyrannise^UK

antagonise^UK

drive round the twist

pressurize^US

pressurise^UK

breathe down someone's neck

make somebody's hackles rise

put someone's nose out of joint

tantalize^US

tantalise^UK

set one's teeth on edge

rub you up the wrong way

try your patience

ruffle one's feathers

use strong-arm tactics on

scare the bejesus out of

get on someone's back

drive you up the wall

freak out

get up someone's nose

be prejudiced against

daunt

jar

feel ill will towards

bear a grudge towards

show ill will towards

put the frighteners on

breath down someone's neck

agonize^US

agonise^UK

get on the wrong side of

make an enemy of somebody

yap at

scratch around

rag on

rattle someone's cage

bring pressure to bear on

punish repeatedly and unfairly

demonize^US

demonise^UK

mess with someone's head

sweat out

weigh heavily on one's mind

put someone off their stroke

cause someone to lose their composure

dishonor^US

dishonour^UK

criticize^US

be a pain in the neck

mix up

get on someone's case

be a thorn in someone's side

criticise^UK

put someone off their stride

set someone back on their heels

put out of countenance

hurt somebody's feelings

make someone scratch their head

disorder

destabilize^US

cause to be at a stand

demoralize^US

destabilise^UK

demoralise^UK

pull the rug from under

pull the rug out from under

be a thorn in someone's flesh

appal^UK

appall^US

push someon's buttons

take the wind out of your sails

make someone laugh out of the other side of their mouth

make someone laugh on the other side of their face

balk^US

baulk^UK

exhaust someone's patience

tread on someone's toes

be an affront to

take by surprise

stop someone in their tracks

invigorate^US

energize^US

galvanize^US

galvanise^UK

envigorate^UK

energise^UK

be on pins and needles

have ants in one's pants

be like a cat on hot bricks

be antsy

more ❯

“Last week we witnessed two fine examples of the extent to which anti-smoking zealots will go in order to hound and persecute smokers.”

Verb

To cause anguish or distress to

torment

torture

agonise^UK

agonize^US

tyrannise^UK

tyrannize^US

weigh heavily on one's mind

labor^US

labour^UK

give someone the works

appall^US

appal^UK

be a weight on one's mind

make severe demands on

tantalise^UK

tantalize^US

more ❯

“They have been persecuted for their beliefs.”

Verb

use strong-arm tactics on

To rule over or control arbitrarily or arrogantly

domineer

dominate

tyrannise^UK

tyrannize^US

pressurise^UK

pressurize^US

bulldoze

rule

subjugate

terrorise^UK

terrorize^US

rule with an iron hand

lead by the nose

push the buttons

throw your weight around

rule with a rod of iron

be in the driver's seat

bring someone to their knees

take away someone's human rights

put through the wringer

put the chill on

hold a gun to one's head

force one's hand

rule despotically

have someone under your thumb

monopolize^US

monopolise^UK

have someone in the palm of one's hand

have a hold over

hold the purse strings

hold the reins

have authority over

hold purse strings

have someone eating out of one's hand

call the signals

have something in the palm of one's hand

be in saddle

be in the driving seat

push buttons

deal with

have someone in one's hip pocket

exercise control over

have ascendancy over

be in command of

have under one's thumb

have the whip hand over

be the boss of

have the upper hand over

rule the roost in

have the upper hand in

have mastery over

more ❯

Verb

To mistreat or do an injustice to

Verb

To inflict emotional or physical harm or distress upon

give someone a rollicking

agonise^UK

agonize^US

traumatize^US

traumatise^UK

more ❯

Verb

Punish severely

Verb

To verbally criticize harshly, especially with insulting language

belabour^UK

belabor^US

minimise^UK

minimize^US

criticize^US

criticise^UK

pummel^US

pummelled^UK

give someone a roasting

rap over the knuckles

give someone a dressing-down

give someone a bad press

carp at

downgrade

besmirch

give someone a bollocking

marginalize^US

marginalise^UK

stigmatize^US

jump down one's throat

give someone a telling-off

give someone an earful

give a bad press to

do down

criticize severely

give someone a mouthful

give someone a wigging

give someone what for

give someone some stick

give someone a row

give someone a rating

rake over the coals

spread lies about

carp

stigmatise^UK

scandalize^US

sully the reputation of

trivialize^US

scandalise^UK

trivialise^UK

give someone a caning

put on the mat

send someone away with a flea in their ear

hold cheap

bring into disrepute

outrage

blacken the reputation of

provoke

blacken the character of

lampoon

slag

conduct a smear campaign against

dishonor^US

dishonour^UK

bite someone's head off

jump down someone's throat

give comeuppance

slap someone's wrist

hurl insults at

lose one's temper with

laugh off

take down a peg

take a swipe at

give something a battering

express disapproval of

speak of with disfavour

satirize^US

ostracise^UK

ostracize^US

satirise^UK

snap someone's head off

give a tongue-lashing

give something a bad press

have someone on the carpet

put someone on the hot seat

pin your ears back

crawl all over

put someone on the griddle

give vent to one's emotions

give free rein to one's emotions

attack somebody's dignity

demonize^US

demonise^UK

treat disrespectfully

rile

growl

hurt somebody's feelings

make somebody's hackles rise

ruffle one's feathers

raise your hackles

give the cold shoulder

blow up at

rap someone the knuckles

make a protest against

declaim against

complain vociferously about

disagree violently with

oppose strongly

put up a fight against

kick up a stink about

rage against

kick against

complain bitterly about

take great exception to

drag through the mire

disfavour^UK

disfavor^US

look down one's nose at

bastardize^US

demoralize^US

demoralise^UK

bastardise^UK

run a smear campaign against

blacken someone's name

rate too low

sully someone's reputation

set little store by

do an injustice to

drag someone's name through the mud

dehumanize^US

dehumanise^UK

write false reports about

drag name through mud

drag someone's name through the mire

make cutting remarks about

make someone eat crow

cause to lose face

lose face

put someone in their place

take down a peg or two

set too little store by

sound off about

look askance at

not believe in

abandon one's principles

express a poor opinion of

be contemptuous about

be allergic to

show contempt for

turn up one's nose at

injure the reputation of

cast aspersion

blacken someone's character

tarnish someone's name

taint someone's name

stain someone's good name

defame someone's character

tell someone to get lost

ruin the reputation of

bring into disfavour

refuse to acknowledge