Chivied

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. to be subjected to relentless urging or coaxing to feel a persistent pressure to take action despite reluctance to experience an unwelcome push that compels one to move or respond
2. Driven by constant entreaties or repeated encouragement to proceed with a task or action
3. Pushed through ongoing requests or insistence, often making reluctance difficult to maintain

Etymology: "Chivied" is the past tense and past participle of "chivy," a variant spelling of "chevy." The verb has a lively sense of hunting or harrying, pursuing someone or something with persistent noise and pressure until it gives way. That hunting sense is what lies behind the modern meaning of being relentlessly urged or coaxed into action. Beyond the verb's basic history, the variant spellings tell the story of a word that has been pronounced and written in several ways, with "chevy" and "chivy" sharing the same origin. The spelling "chivy" is the form the modern past tense "chivied" follows.

Synonyms: harassed, nagged, pestered, hound, tormented

Antonyms: comforted, soothed, calmed, reassured, supported