bother
to annoy; give trouble to; pester: His little sister kept bothering him for candy.
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.
to bewilder; confuse: His inability to understand the joke bothered him.
to take the trouble; trouble or inconvenience oneself: Don't bother to call. He has no time to bother with trifles.
something troublesome, burdensome, or annoying: Doing the laundry every week can be a terrible bother.
effort, work, or worry: Gardening takes more bother than it's worth.
a worried or perplexed state: Don't get into such a bother about small matters.
someone or something that bothers or annoys: My cousin is a perpetual bother to me.
Chiefly British. (used to express mild irritation.)
Origin of bother
1synonym study For bother
Other words for bother
Other words from bother
- un·both·ered, adjective
- un·both·er·ing, adjective
Words Nearby bother
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use bother in a sentence
The seagulls expected to clean up the rest were also scared off, but the remaining pieces were so small that it would not have been worth the bother anyway, he added.
Why the Forest Service has a manual for blowing up horse carcasses | David Roza/Task & Purpose | August 4, 2022 | Popular-ScienceMusk says he wants to provide a “superintelligence layer” in the human brain to help protect us from artificial intelligence, and Zuckerberg reportedly wants users to upload their thoughts and emotions over the internet without the bother of typing.
I would go from being a charmingly eccentric bohemian to being a monstrously crass bother.
But if the goal is to not interact with people, why bother going to a bar in the first place?
A soldier asks all the men to come off the bus, but only half do, and he decides not to bother with rest.
On the Bus: Ukraine’s Frontline Express Across the Battle Lines | Ted Phillips | September 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
There are no signs of any police—why would the traffic cops bother, there is no one to fine and demand bribes from?
As the Key Battle Looms, a Report from Ukraine's Front Lines | Jamie Dettmer | August 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSince there's a near infinite number of possible exercises, Amiigo doesn't bother trying to categorize them ahead of time.
As mildly irritating as David Tseng may be, he is not someone who troubles me enough to even bother with.
But I don't suppose Weston would bother spreading the tails out when he sat down.
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson LloydGreat tracts of land in this part of the State are out of date, and more bother than they are worth, anywhere.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonBaroudi would probably never think of her as Englishmen thought of her, would never "bother about" her age.
Bella Donna | Robert HichensHe ceased to bother his brain with Bascomb and his affairs, wrapping himself completely in the noble work of the roadster.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. MatthewsAnd a drop of poteen is a wonderful thing to drive away the melancholy thoughts that haunt and bother so many of us.
The Whale and the Grasshopper | Seumas O'Brien
British Dictionary definitions for bother
/ (ˈbɒðə) /
(tr) to give annoyance, pain, or trouble to; irritate: his bad leg is bothering him again
(tr) to trouble (a person) by repeatedly disturbing; pester: stop bothering your father!
(intr) to take the time or trouble; concern oneself: don't bother to come with me
(tr) to make (a person) alarmed or confused: the thought of her husband's return clearly bothered her
a state of worry, trouble, or confusion
a person or thing that causes fuss, trouble, or annoyance
informal a disturbance or fight; trouble (esp in the phrase a spot of bother)
mainly British an exclamation of slight annoyance
Origin of bother
1Collins 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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