“I did not appreciate that she had been so badly bothered by this continual bugging of her because of my working at the Republic or that it would cause her to do anything as she did.”

Noun

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The act or process of learning secret information through clandestine means

espionage

cloak-and-dagger activities

secret service

undercover activities

undercover operations

underground activities

observation

industrial espionage

intelligence gathering

phone tapping

humint

information gathering

snooping

ELINT

electronic intelligence

more ❯

Verb

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(usually used in third person form "gets") Annoying or irritating (someone)

rubbing up the wrong way

giving someone the hump

driving mad

driving crazy

driving nuts

making someone see red

getting in someone's hair

getting on someone's nerves

getting on someone's tits

getting on your nerves

getting someone's back up

getting someone's dander up

getting someone's goat

getting someone's hackles up

getting someone's wick

getting under someone's skin

getting up your nose

gnawing

harrying

making someone's hackles rise

making your blood boil

rattling someone's cage

ruffling someone's feathers

trying someone's patience

bedevilling^UK

bedeviling^US

getting under your skin

driving round the bend

getting your goat

unsettling

perplexing

rubbing the wrong way

getting on one's nerves

driving to distraction

driving round the twist

giving someone the pip

agonizing^US

making somebody's hackles rise

agonising^UK

getting your dander up

ruffling one's feathers

putting someone's nose out of joint

eating at

trying your patience

getting up someone's nose

getting your hackles up

steaming up

driving you up the wall

tantalizing^US

hurting somebody's feelings

giving a bad time

tantalising^UK

breathing down someone's neck

driving bananas

bending someone's ear

making uneasy

rubbing you up the wrong way

getting across someone

frightening

hitting where one lives

trying the patience of

setting one's teeth on edge

caviling^US

cavilling^UK

putting someone off their stroke

wearing

jangling

sticking in one's craw

making someone scratch their head

getting a rise out of

upsetting the applecart

pushing someon's buttons

steaming

tiring

occupying thoughts

running up the wrong way

causing discomfort to

grinding

making it hot for someone

making things hot for someone

criticizing^US

treading on someone's toes

making an enemy of somebody

setting on edge

getting on the wrong side of

bringing pressure to bear on

making someone fed up

driving you to distraction

making somebody's blood boil

driving you out of your mind

driving you round the bend

driving you round the twist

searching high heaven

criticising^UK

pushing the buttons of

balking^US

putting someone off their stride

causing to be at a stand

baulking^UK

stopping someone in their tracks

setting someone back on their heels

taking by surprise

putting out of countenance

causing someone to lose their composure

throwing into a tizz

jumping on one's case

putting the squeeze on

more ❯

“If I tried to explain to Sandy that a lot of the things Carine does really bug me, she would just say something about giving people a chance.”

Verb

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Present participle for to weigh heavily on one's mind, typically causing worry or anxiety

“The impending deadline would increasingly begin to bug me as I rushed to complete the project.”

Verb

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Present participle for to cause to feel emotionally depressed or despondent

giving someone the blues

harshing one's mellow

knocking the wind out of

throwing cold water on

getting down

making someone fed up

casting a gloom upon

bringing tears to your eyes

knocking the stuffing out of

weighing heavily on

bearing down

making desolate

harshing someone's mellow

keeping under

turning off

breaking someone's heart

running down

causing suffering to

pouring cold water on

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“Failing the important exam would really bug me for the longest time.”

Verb

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Present participle for to listen to without permission, typically with a monitoring device

“The police had worked on the assumption that if anyone was trying to bug their conversations, they would be scanning the frequencies normally used by the police.”

Verb

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Present participle for to delve or make inquiries into

analysing^UK

analyzing^US

exploring

studying