bother

[ both-er ]

/ ˈbɒð ər /

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See synonyms for: bother / bothered / bothering / bothers on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to annoy; give trouble to; pester: His little sister kept bothering him for candy.

to cause unease, anxiety, or worry in (someone): I hadn't realized how much being in a small boat bothers me until we got into choppy waters.

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.)

OTHER WORDS FOR bother

1 harass, vex, irritate; molest, disturb.

See synonyms for bother on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

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 provoke or irritate persistently with petty distractions.

OTHER WORDS FROM bother

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bother in a sentence

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
A friendship-starting, pain-decreasing, Kremlin-bothering pass for dropping F-bombs?
Holy Sh*t: Swearing Is Good for You|Charlotte Lytton|May 14, 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
The Taube has been bothering us again, but wound up its manœuvres very decently by killing some fish for our dinner.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Many, like myself, find the last less trouble and expense than bothering with incubators.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
Black Hood vaulted into the roadster without bothering to open the door.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
But no matter what happens, time and the world rolls by as indifferently as though there was nothing worth bothering about.
The Whale and the Grasshopper|Seumas O'Brien
That was what was bothering Brodrick; for it was Jane's hand, in its freedom, that had kept the standard of the magazine so high.
The Creators|May Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for bother

bother

/ (ˈbɒðə) /

verb

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

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

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

(tr) to make (a person) alarmed or confusedthe 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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bother

OTHER WORDS FOR bother

Origin of bother

synonym study for bother

OTHER WORDS FROM bother

Words related to bother

How to use bother in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bother

Word Origin for bother