pester
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has pesteredperfect 3rd person singular
-
have pesteredperfect
-
is pesteringprogressive 3rd person singular
-
have been pesteringperfect progressive
-
am pesteringprogressive 1st person singular
-
are pesteringprogressive
-
pesteringparticiple
-
pesterssingular 3rd person
-
has been pesteringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
-
had pesteredperfect
-
was pesteringprogressive singular
-
were pesteringprogressive plural
-
had been pesteringperfect progressive
-
pesteredparticiple
-
pesteredsimple
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
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!
Stargirl
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!
Crash
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.
Andrew Pester, chief executive of the British Parking Association, said: "We want to demonstrate that not only are we serious about raising standards but also making decisive changes to the code when issues arise."
From BBC • Jan. 31, 2025
The move to introduce the panel shows that private parking firms are "serious about raising standards but also making decisive changes to the code when issues arise", BPA chief executive Andrew Pester said.
From BBC • Jan. 12, 2025
Some issues could take years to reach the court, said liberal attorney Pester Pines, who like Esenberg has argued numerous times before the state Supreme Court.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 22, 2023
By 1916, Pester had become a tourist attraction, selling postcard portraits of himself and promoting his austere lifestyle to visitors.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2019
Oh, how solemn he looked, and how sorry I felt for him, for I knowed worse wuz to come, I knowed the sharpest arrow Serepta Pester had sent wuz yet to pierce his sperit.
From Samantha on the Woman Question by Holley, Marietta
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.
