51Թ

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View synonyms for

bother

[both-er]

verb (used with object)

  1. to annoy; give trouble to; pester.

    His little sister kept bothering him for candy.

  2. 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.

    Synonyms: , , , ,
  3. to bewilder; confuse.

    His inability to understand the joke bothered him.



verb (used without object)

  1. to take the trouble; trouble or inconvenience oneself.

    Don't bother to call. He has no time to bother with trifles.

noun

  1. something troublesome, burdensome, or annoying.

    Doing the laundry every week can be a terrible bother.

  2. effort, work, or worry.

    Gardening takes more bother than it's worth.

  3. a worried or perplexed state.

    Don't get into such a bother about small matters.

  4. someone or something that bothers or annoys.

    My cousin is a perpetual bother to me.

interjection

  1. Chiefly British.(used to express mild irritation.)

bother

/ ˈɒðə /

verb

  1. (tr) to give annoyance, pain, or trouble to; irritate

    his bad leg is bothering him again

  2. (tr) to trouble (a person) by repeatedly disturbing; pester

    stop bothering your father!

  3. (intr) to take the time or trouble; concern oneself

    don't bother to come with me

  4. (tr) to make (a person) alarmed or confused

    the thought of her husband's return clearly bothered her

“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

noun

  1. a state of worry, trouble, or confusion

  2. a person or thing that causes fuss, trouble, or annoyance

  3. informala disturbance or fight; trouble (esp in the phrase a spot of bother )

“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

interjection

  1. an exclamation of slight annoyance

“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
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • unbothered adjective
  • unbothering adjective
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of bother1

First recorded in 1710–20; origin obscure; originally Hiberno-English; perhaps a hypercorrection of bodder, an alternative early form; perhaps a variant of pother ( def. )
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of bother1

C18: perhaps from Irish Gaelic bodhar deaf, vexed; compare Irish Gaelic buairim I vex
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Synonym Study

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.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The Dodgers boast that more than 40% of their fan base is Latino, but they can’t even be bothered to offer the shaken community any words of comfort.

From

When they went into the studio to record, a producer changed the group’s name to the Beach Boys and never bothered to tell them.

From

“I’m a huge Fitzgerald fan,” Lurie says, “even though there was a line in that book that always bothered me.”

From

"We looked and we could see the police and all the blue lights. We had been thinking of going back down for another drink and decided not to bother. So I'm quite glad I didn't."

From

The effort seemed cobbled together by someone who typed “sanctuary” and a city’s name into Google and swallowed whatever the AI spat up without even bothering to cross-check with Wikipedia.

From

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