Chiefly British. (used to express mild irritation.)
Origin: 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.
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).