bother

[ both-er ]

/ ˈbɒð ər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bother ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to give trouble to; annoy; pester; worry: His baby sister bothered him for candy.

to bewilder; confuse: His inability to understand the joke bothered him.

verb (used without object)

to take the trouble; trouble or inconvenience oneself: Don't bother to call. He has no time to bother with trifles.

noun

something troublesome, burdensome, or annoying: Doing the laundry every week can be a terrible bother.

effort, work, or worry: Gardening takes more bother than it's worth.

a worried or perplexed state: Don't get into such a bother about small matters.

someone or something that bothers or annoys: My cousin is a perpetual bother to me.

interjection

Chiefly British. (used to express mild irritation.)

Origin of bother

1710–20; orig. Hiberno-English; probably by hypercorrection from bodder, an alternate early form; origin obscure

SYNONYMS FOR bother

1 harass, vex, irritate; molest, disturb.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bother ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for bother

1. Bother, annoy, plague, tease imply persistent interference with one's comfort or peace of mind. Bother suggests causing trouble or weariness or repeatedly interrupting in the midst of pressing duties. To annoy is to vex or irritate by bothering. Plague is a strong word, connoting unremitting annoyance and harassment. To tease is to pester, as by long-continued whining and begging.

OTHER WORDS FROM bother

un·both·ered, adjective un·both·er·ing, adjective

Words nearby bother

both feet on the ground, with, both ways, botha, botham, bothe, bother, bother, bothered, botheration, bothersome, bothnia, bothriocephalus

Example sentences from the Web for bothering

The argument also went that the lack of publicity would dissuade would-be hostage-takers from bothering to grab reporters.

The Media Blackout on Hostages Helps ISIS |Jamie Dettmer |September 2, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I think I had more of an artistic thing bouncing around and bothering me.

How ‘Transcendence’ Director Wally Pfister Became Christopher Nolan’s Secret Weapon |Andrew Romano |April 17, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But by not bothering to run anyone, state Democratic parties remain enfeebled.

Brooklyn’s Lazy Carpetbagger Sets His Sights on an Alaska Senate Seat |David Freedlander |December 4, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
I am starting with a hunch, and that's why I'm bothering to ask the questions.

When a Bomb Goes Off in Afghanistan |Heidi Vogt |May 12, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

Her bra had been cut from her body, but whoever did it had only pulled up her shirt, not bothering to completely remove it.

Why Retrying Amanda Knox Is Important |Barbie Latza Nadeau |March 27, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
He was restless, it seemed, and after months of irresponsibility, the thought of work was bothering him badly.

Kenny |Leona Dalrymple
But Jimsy, bothering not at all at the laughing encomiums, proceeded to secure the rope to the Red Dragon.

The Girl Aviators' Motor Butterfly |Margaret Burnham
Don't be bothering us about Winny's talk, but go and open the door for your brother.

The Unicorn from the Stars and Other Plays |William B. Yeats
"Oh, there will be no slip between the lip and the dipper in this case, if that's what is bothering you," the contractor said.

The Cottage of Delight |Will N. Harben
Why are you bothering yourself to lend that book”—he indicated William Morris by a movement of the head—“to everyone in the lab.

The Plattner Story and Others |H. G. Wells

British Dictionary definitions for bothering

bother

/ (ˈbɒðə) /

verb

(tr) to give annoyance, pain, or trouble to; irritate his bad leg is bothering him again

(tr) to trouble (a person) by repeatedly disturbing; pester stop bothering your father!

(intr) to take the time or trouble; concern oneself don't bother to come with me

(tr) to make (a person) alarmed or confused the thought of her husband's return clearly bothered her

noun

a state of worry, trouble, or confusion

a person or thing that causes fuss, trouble, or annoyance

informal a disturbance or fight; trouble (esp in the phrase a spot of bother)

interjection

mainly British an exclamation of slight annoyance

Word Origin for bother

C18: perhaps from Irish Gaelic bodhar deaf, vexed; compare Irish Gaelic buairim I vex

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

bother

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

interjection

Origin of bother

SYNONYMS FOR bother

synonym study for bother

OTHER WORDS FROM bother

Words nearby bother

Example sentences from the Web for bothering

British Dictionary definitions for bothering

verb

noun

interjection

Word Origin for bother

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

bother

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

interjection

Origin of bother

SYNONYMS FOR bother

synonym study for bother

OTHER WORDS FROM bother

Words nearby bother

Words related to bothering

Example sentences from the Web for bothering

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for bothering

verb

noun

interjection

Word Origin for bother

British Dictionary definitions for bothering