Nearby Words
verb (used with object)
1.
to give trouble to; annoy; pester; worry: His baby sister bothered him for candy.
2.
to bewilder; confuse: His inability to understand the joke bothered him.
verb (used without object)
3.
to take the trouble; trouble or inconvenience oneself: Don't bother to call. He has no time to bother with trifles.
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Bothering
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
noun
4.
something troublesome, burdensome, or annoying: Doing the laundry every week can be a terrible bother.
5.
effort, work, or worry: Gardening takes more bother than it's worth.
6.
a worried or perplexed state: Don't get into such a bother about small matters.
7.
someone or something that bothers or annoys: My cousin is a perpetual bother to me.
interjection
8.
Chiefly British. (used to express mild irritation.)
Origin:
1710–20; orig. Hiberno-English; probably by hypercorrection from bodder, an alternate early form; origin obscure
1710–20; orig. Hiberno-English; probably by hypercorrection from bodder, an alternate early form; origin obscure
Related forms
un·both·ered, adjective
un·both·er·ing, adjective
Synonyms
1. harass, vex, irritate; molest, disturb. 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 pester, as by long-continued whining and begging.
1. harass, vex, irritate; molest, disturb. 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 pester, as by long-continued whining and begging.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To bothering
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
bother
1718, probably from Anglo-Irish pother, since its earliest use was by Irish writers Sheridan, Swift, Sterne. Perhaps from Ir. bodhairim "I deafen." Related: Botheration (1797); bothersome (1834).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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