1. (v. t.) To vex; to tease; to trouble.

2. (n.) Vexation; anxiety; care.

accelerate agent provocateur aggrandize alienate amplify anger annoy antagonize arouse augment badger bait be at bedevil beef up beset blow up bother bristle brown off bug build up bullyrag burn up chafe chivy come between complicate concentrate condense consolidate damage deepen deteriorate devil dilapidate disaffect discompose distemper disturb disunite divide dog double embitter endamage enhance enlarge envenom estrange exacerbate exaggerate exasperate exercise fan the flame fash fret frustrate gall get grate gripe harass harm harry heat up heckle hector heighten hop up hot up hound huff hurt impair incense increase inflame infuriate injure intensify irk irritate jazz up key up light the fuse madden magnify make acute make complex make trouble make worse miff molest mount multiply nag needle nettle nudzh peeve persecute perturb pester pick on pique pit against plague pluck the beard pother provoke put back ramify rankle redouble reinforce ride rile rise roil rouse ruffle separate set against set at odds set at variance set on set up sharpen sic on soup up sour sow dissension step up stir the blood stir up stir up trouble strengthen tease torment triple trouble try the patience tweak the nose upset vex weaken whet work up worry worsen