bother
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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
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
Synonym Usage
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 provoke or irritate persistently with petty distractions.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
bothersimple
-
botherssimple
-
have botheredperfect
-
has botheredperfect
-
am botheringprogressive
-
are botheringprogressive
-
is botheringprogressive
-
have been botheringperfect progressive
-
has been botheringperfect progressive
Past
-
botheredsimple
-
had botheredperfect
-
was botheringprogressive
-
were botheringprogressive
-
had been botheringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bother
First recorded in 1710–20; origin obscure; originally Hiberno-English; perhaps a hypercorrection of bodder, an alternative early form; perhaps a variant of pother ( def. )
Explanation
The word bother has many shades of meaning, but most of them involve trouble of some sort. You might wonder why you should bother to follow a recipe, until you taste what you've made without one. As a verb, bother can mean that you take the trouble to do something. It’s often presented as a negative: you might not bother to lock the house, or you may wonder why you should bother reading the instructions that came with your phone. Bother can also mean that you’re bugging someone or causing a minor inconvenience. The word can also have a sense of deeper worry, especially when something is bothering you, like a nagging sense of guilt.
Vocabulary lists containing bother
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 4
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He broke out as a filmmaker with the 2018 film “Sorry to Bother You,” a magical ride about a Black telemarketer who excels by using a “white voice.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
Riley, the writer-director behind 2018's "Sorry to Bother You," said he revisited the absurdist aesthetic of his first film because he found it helped convey his message.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Stanfield had also starred in Riley’s debut feature, “Sorry to Bother You.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
The next year, Boots Riley’s masterful “Sorry to Bother You” seemed to herald a new golden age for Black satire films.
From New York Times • May 14, 2024
Two seconds later, he opened the door just wide enough for his hand to sneak out and hang a “Don’t Bother the Beast” sign on his doorknob before closing it soundly again.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
