Nearby Words
verb (used with object)
1.
to bother persistently with petty annoyances; trouble: Don't pester me with your trivial problems.
2.
Obsolete. to overcrowd.
Origin:
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 (see pastor); aphetic form apparently reinforced by pest (compare -er6)
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 (see pastor); aphetic form apparently reinforced by pest (compare -er6)
Related forms
pes·ter·er, noun
pes·ter·ing·ly, adverb
pes·ter·some, adjective
un·pes·tered, adjective
Synonyms
1. annoy, vex, tease, disturb; irritate, provoke, plague; badger, harry, hector.
1. annoy, vex, tease, disturb; irritate, provoke, plague; badger, harry, hector.
Antonyms
1. delight, entertain.
1. delight, entertain.
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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Pestering
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
pester
1524, "to clog, entangle, encumber," probably aphetic of M.Fr. empestrer "place in an embarrassing situation" (Fr. empêtrer, Walloon epasturer), from V.L. *impastoriare "to hobble" (an animal), from L. im- "in" + M.L. pastoria (chorda) "rope to hobble an animal," noun use of L. pastoria, fem. of
EXPANDpastorius "of a herdsman," from pastor "herdsman," from pascere "to graze." Sense of "annoy, trouble" (1562) is from influence of pest (q.v.).
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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