"prodding" in the noun sense
1. goad, goading, prod, prodding, urging, spur, spurring
a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something
"the ceaseless prodding got on his nerves"
"prodding" in the verb sense
1. nudge, poke at, prod
to push against gently
"She nudged my elbow when she saw her friend enter the restaurant"
2. prod, incite, egg on
urge on cause to act
"The other children egged the boy on, but he did not want to throw the stone through the window"
3. jab, prod, stab, poke, dig
poke or thrust abruptly
"he jabbed his finger into her ribs"
Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)
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