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. -er⁶)

OTHER WORDS FROM pester

pes·ter·er, nounpes·ter·ing·ly, adverbpes·ter·some, adjectiveun·pes·tered, adjective

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

How to use pester in a sentence

About two years ago, a woman claimed to be pestered by a spirit throughout the night.
Would You Stay in Lizzie Borden’s Ax-Murder House?|Nina Strochlic|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I quit my fancy art-gallery job, threw myself into a wide variety of classes, and pestered Cory until he offered me a job.
Yes, Women Can Make Great Wine|Jordan Salcito|March 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The jazz fan who pestered him for narcotics turned out to be a federal agent.
The Jazz Pianist That John F. Kennedy Saved|Ted Gioia|August 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
When I was a kid, I pestered old people with questions about what life had been like in old times.
Literary City: Boris Akunin, a Dissident in Moscow|Henry Krempels|April 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST

When the paparazzo pestered him again, asking, “So he could do without the Grammys?”
Justin Bieber Freaks Out Over Grammys, Feuds With the Black Keys|Marlow Stern|February 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He pestered yo' pap to let him do it fer ye, an' anything Jack Hale wants from yo' pap, he gits.
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine|John Fox, Jr.
For six years he was pestered with lawsuits for separation, till a divorce was finally procured.
Vie de Bohme|Orlo Williams
"Go lang away wid yu white man, I aint agwine to be pestered," he continued.
The Broken Sword|Dennison Worthington
He was constantly in and out of her room, he felt her pulse and pestered Don Rufo with questions.
The Fourth Estate, vol. 2|Armando Palacio Valds
Byron was pestered by appeals from Allegras mother, indirectly on her own behalf, and directly on behalf of the child.
Byron|Richard Edgcumbe

British Dictionary definitions for pester

pester

/ (ˈpɛstə) /

verb

(tr) to annoy or nag continually

Derived forms of pester

pesterer, nounpesteringly, adverb

Word Origin for pester

C16: from Old French empestrer to hobble (a horse), from Vulgar Latin impāstōriāre (unattested) to use a hobble, from pāstōria (unattested) a hobble, from Latin pāstōrius relating to a herdsman, from pastor herdsman

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

pester

Definition of pester

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Origin of pester

OTHER WORDS FROM pester

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How to use pester in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pester

Derived forms of pester

Word Origin for pester