Bother Definition

bŏthər
bothered, bothering, bothers
verb
bothered, bothering, bothers
To worry or trouble, esp. with petty annoyances; harass, pester, etc.
Webster's New World
To cause to be irritated, especially by repeated acts; trouble or annoy.
American Heritage
To make a fuss.
Webster's New World
To bewilder or fluster.
Webster's New World
To cause discomfort to.
Her sore foot bothers her.
Webster's New World
noun
bothers
A cause or condition of worry or irritation; trouble; fuss.
Webster's New World
A person who gives trouble.
Webster's New World
There was a bit of bother at the hairdresser's when they couldn't find my appointment in the book.
Wiktionary
interjection
Used to express slight annoyance, worry, etc.
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Bother

Noun

Singular:
bother
Plural:
bothers

Origin of Bother

  • From Scots bauther, bather (“to bother”). Origin unknown. Perhaps related to Scots pother (“to make a stir or commotion, bustle”), also of unknown origin.

    From Wiktionary

  • Perhaps related to Irish bodhaire (noise), bodhraim (to deafen, annoy.) {Concise Oxford English Dictionary 2011}

    From Wiktionary

  • Probably from dialectal bodder possibly of Celtic origin

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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