irritate: implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from impatience to rage: her constant nagging ~ him to no end.


exasperate: suggests galling annoyance or vexation and the arousing of extreme impatience: his ~  habit of putting off every decision.  （galling使人恼怒(因为不公平)，如it was especially galling to be criticised by this scoundrel被这个无赖指责让人尤其气愤 ） （annoy使厌烦，生气: a wearing on the nerves by persistent and petty unpleasantness不停用琐碎讨厌的东西消磨人的神经 ，如his constant complaining annoys us他不停抱怨让人厌烦    vex烦恼困惑，比annoy程度强,还表示担心困惑,如a problem that vexes cancer researchers一个让癌症研究人员烦恼困惑的问题）    


nettle: suggests a light and sharp but transitory stinging or piquing: your high-handed attitude ~d  several people.  （pique温和刺激挑战to stimulate by mild irritation or challenge，如that remark piqued my interest那句话激起我的兴趣）  （sting蚊虫叮咬植物刺痛I was stung on the arm by a wasp我胳膊被黄蜂蜇了）  


provoke: implies an arousing of strong annoyance or vexation that may excite to action: remarks that were made solely to ~ him.


aggravate: implies persistent, often petty, goading that leads to displeasure, impatience, or anger: the ~ing drone of self-important politicians.  （drone除了表示无人机，还表示嗡嗡叫，絮絮叨叨地说，如the minister's voice was a drone部长不停絮叨着）


rile: implies the inducing of an angry or resentful agitation: the new rules ~d the employees.


peeve: suggests the arousing of fretful, often petty, or querulous irritation: she is easily ~d after a  sleepless night.     (fret两个意思 1坐立不安不舒服==distressing，2生气==irritate)    (querulous爱抱怨，如a querulous male voice said, 'Look, are you going to order, or what?'一个男人不满地问：“喂，你到底要不要点菜？”, 对比garrulous喋喋不休话多的,如a garrulous old woman喋喋不休的老妇人）


irritate生气或不耐烦: 通常表示逐渐惹人生气，范围从不耐烦到暴怒，exasperate不耐烦: 让人厌烦(annoy"磨"人神经,vex更重)极度不耐烦，nettle轻微激怒: 好像被轻快尖锐的叮咬(sting)刺激(pique)，provoke挑衅: 强烈愤怒导致采取行动，aggravate恼火: 让人不高兴不耐烦生气，因为不情愿(goad赶牲口尖棒，让人做不情愿的事)，rile惹恼: 因生气不满(resentful愤恨,这里表示不满)而激动，peeve生气不满: （因琐事）生气抱怨。


记忆方法: 1）首字母PEAR PIN 梨上有个大头针==>惹怒顾客     pin图钉大头针


         2）惹怒的意思是使人生气恼怒mean to excite a feeling of angry annoyance.