pester
Americanverb
Other Word Forms
- pesterer noun
- pesteringly adverb
- pestersome adjective
- unpestered adjective
Etymology
Origin of pester
1530–40; perhaps aphetic variant of empester, impester to tangle, encumber (though pester is found earlier than these 2 words) < Middle French empestrer to hobble, entangle < Vulgar Latin *impāstōriāre to hobble, equivalent to im- im- 1 + pāstōri ( a ) a hobble, noun use of Latin pāstōrius of a herdsman or shepherd + -āre infinitive suffix ( pastor ); aphetic form apparently reinforced by pest ( -er 6 )
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.
And I never needed to pester him for stories.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
He was arrested and later released on bail on condition that he did not harass, pester or intimidate Harshita.
From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025
It’s also inadequately resourced, thanks to a management that refuses to pay nurses and living wage and, instead, sends its top representative to pester Robby about raising satisfaction scores.
From Salon • Jun. 23, 2025
It was to ensure he was comfortable with the task required to impress NFL teams that poke, prod and pester players during the evaluation process.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2025
When I grew older and realized you could send letters all over the world, I used to pester Amma, asking, "Why d'you think Appa doesn't write anymore?"
From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman
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.
