pester
Americanverb
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Other Word Forms
- pesterer noun
- pesteringly adverb
- pestersome adjective
- unpestered adjective
Etymology
Origin of 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 ( pastor ); aphetic form apparently reinforced by pest ( -er 6 )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We are harassed, we are robbed, we are pestered for money,” Erni, a street musician and former sex worker who is a student at the boarding school, said in the Vice video.
From New York Times
They put the 16-year-old on a second-tier team for one year, primarily so he could refine his skills and learn to cope with the frustration of smaller players pestering him.
From Seattle Times
The Chargers’ defenders pestered San Francisco’s touted rookie quarterback, Trey Lance, into a rough start.
From Los Angeles Times
In focus groups, parents have reported that their children tell them off when they reach for sugary, fatty or salty options in the supermarket and even "pester" them to go for the healthier choices.
From BBC
“I was pestering him,” Parkinson said with a smile.
From Seattle Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
