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bother definition

bother (bät̸h′ər)

transitive verb

  1. to worry or trouble, esp. with petty annoyances; harass, pester, etc.
  2. to bewilder or fluster
  3. to cause discomfort to her sore foot bothers her
  4. to disturb; interrupt

Etymology: earlier bodder (in Jonathan Swift); prob. Anglo-Ir for pother

intransitive verb

  1. to take the time and trouble; concern oneself don't bother to reply
  2. to make a fuss

noun

  1. a cause or condition of worry or irritation; trouble; fuss
  2. a person who gives trouble

interjection

used to express slight annoyance, worry, etc.

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

bother Synonyms

bother

n.

  1. Trouble or worry

    vexation, fuss, inconvenience, anxiety; see care 2.

  2. A cause of trouble or worry

    nuisance, problem, concern, care; see difficulty 1, 2, trouble 2.


bother

v.

  1. To take trouble

    put oneself out, fret, go out of one's way, make a fuss about, fuss (over), take pains, make an effort, exert oneself, trouble oneself, concern oneself, be concerned about, worry about; see also try 1, worry 2.

  2. To give trouble

    annoy, plague, vex, pester, molest, irritate, irk, disturb, provoke, harass, badger, hound, heckle, aggravate, tease, goad, pursue, torment, torture, taunt, try one's patience, carp at, nag, hector, harry, exasperate, nettle, cross, exacerbate, intrude upon, interrupt, discommode, inconvenience, hinder, impede, bore, afflict, grate on, bedevil, beset, browbeat, tantalize, bug*, peeve*, get on one's nerves*, give one a pain*, drive one nuts*, drive up a wall*, put out*, gripe*, get one's goat*, put one's nose out of joint*, get under one's skin*, ride*, pick on*, needle*, get in one's hair*, hassle*, get on one's back*, noodge*, give one a hard time*, get on one's case*; see also disturb 2.

    Antonyms help, please, delight.

  3. To be disturbing

    disturb, distress, upset, hurt, trouble, be the matter, displease, disconcert, worry, agitate, disquiet, perturb, discompose, embarrass, unsettle, discomfit, pain, grieve, bewilder, confuse, perplex, ruffle, mortify, chagrin, gnaw at, jar, make one lose sleep, discombobulate*, rub the wrong way*, go against the grain*, jangle the nerves*; see also sense 2.

bother implies disturbance of one's peace of mind and may suggest mild perplexity or anxiety; annoy implies temporary disturbance of mind caused by something that displeases one or tries one's patience; vex implies a more serious source of irritation and greater disturbance, often intense worry; irk stresses a wearing down of one's patience by persistent annoyance; to tease is to annoy by persistent, irritating actions, remarks, or requests; plague suggests mental torment comparable to the physical suffering caused by an affliction


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

bother Usage Examples

Object

  • nobody: In 1977, so few families were educating their children at home that nobody bothered to count them.

Preposition: with

  • anything: More or Posted: Thu 4th May 06 01:10 I can't be bothered with anything these days, but such is life.

Infinitive complement

  • vote: Firstly, people don't bother to vote in the first place.

Present participle complement

  • try: So bad but I am not even going to bother trying to get into the shower tonight!

Modifying Another Word

  • even: Why did I even bother going out with him?
bother usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

bother quotes

: Bad language or abuse, I never, never use, Whatever the emergency; Though 'Bother it' I may Occasionally say, I never use a big, big Dö : What, never? : No, never! : What never? : Well, hardly ever! : Hardly ever swears a big, big Dö Then give three cheers, and one cheer more, For the well-bred Captain of the Pinafore!

-Gilbert, Sir W(illiam) S(chwenck)

We don't bother much about dress and manners in England, because, as a nation, we don't dress well and we've no manners.

-Shaw, George Bernard

bother quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"bother." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/bother>

APA Style

bother. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/bother

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