pester
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
pestersimple
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pesterssimple
-
have pesteredperfect
-
has pesteredperfect
-
am pesteringprogressive
-
are pesteringprogressive
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is pesteringprogressive
-
have been pesteringperfect progressive
-
has been pesteringperfect progressive
Past
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pesteredsimple
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had pesteredperfect
-
was pesteringprogressive
-
were pesteringprogressive
-
had been pesteringperfect progressive
Future
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 ( see pastor); aphetic form apparently reinforced by pest ( cf. -er 6)
Explanation
To pester someone is to annoyingly nag them about something. Pestering is repetitive and bothersome. When a child asks a parent something over and over again — like "Can I have candy? Please? Can I have candy now?" — that's an example of pestering. Parents also pester kids when they say "Clean your room" or "Take out the garbage" over and over. Pestering is like requesting, but doing it many times, usually to the point of annoyance. No one likes to be pestered.
Vocabulary lists containing pester
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act V
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Stargirl
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Crash
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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.
See Examples For:
There’s a store chain called Five Below that is designed to maximize pester power.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
Ham-handed police officers pester Janey for details: Why did she touch Samantha’s dress?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 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
“I am considered something of a Potter authority; it is widely known that we are friendly. I have assured the spirit community that I will not pester you for information, however. ‘
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Bobo pesters the grown-ups with tons of pushy questions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2025
He described Mr Amro as an "anarchist who frequently pesters IDF soldiers in Hebron".
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2023
Now, she said, her family pesters her for festival tickets, and she is preparing to direct a new film to be shot in Saudi Arabia.
From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 2021
Mundey, who often pesters Neiko about taking good shots and getting back on defense, yelled from the sideline.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 13, 2017
This information comes in handy when he pesters me to finish my vegetables.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
In France the government has pestered the public to wet their skin, drink cold soup and block windows with cardboard to beat the heat—anything to avoid resorting to AC.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Surely only Williams pestered the woman about it afterwards.
From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2025
There is of course the danger that instead of being pestered for a smartphone, parents will find themselves being pestered for a piece of Barbie merchandise - which may be just as unwelcome.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2024
As we explored, I pestered Endro for the names of the trees we passed.
From National Geographic ● Jan. 23, 2024
Now she endured the indifferent kisses of her grandchildren as if she was being pestered by mosquitoes.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Become a real nuisance and tech boosters will eventually give up, handing the future back to the pestering, teeming masses.
From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2026
The idea for Campus Guardian Angel came from Justin Marston, a British entrepreneur and Mithril co-founder, who saw videos of small Ukrainian drones pestering Russian soldiers with guns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026
Louis testified he felt guilty about setting up Daniel, but he wasn’t above pestering Halem and Ben for a cut of the profits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
"Every couple of days she's pestering me asking if I've looked at dresses or done anything, and I've not," McColgan revealed.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
Nathan listened closely, and that voice was no longer pestering his uncle.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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.
