1 bother | Definition of bother
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bother

verb
both·​er | \ ˈbĂ€-t͟hər How to pronounce bother (audio) \
bothered; bothering\ ˈbĂ€t͟h-​riƋ How to pronounce bothering (audio) , ˈbĂ€-​t͟hə-​ \

Definition of bother

 (Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to annoy especially by petty provocation : irk It bothers her when people litter. bothered by the itchy tag on his shirt
2 : to intrude upon : pester Don't bother him when he's working.
3 : to cause to be somewhat anxious or concerned My stomach is bothering me. —often used interjectionally Oh, bother!

intransitive verb

1 : to become concerned wouldn't bother with details
2 : to take pains (see pain entry 1 sense 4) : take the trouble never bothered to ask

bother

noun

Definition of bother (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : a state of petty discomfort, annoyance, or worry when scenery gets mixed up with our personal bothers all the virtue goes out of it— Edith Wharton
b : something that causes petty annoyance or worry Fixing it would be too much of a bother. Sorry to be such a bother, but I need your help.
2 : fuss, inconvenience doesn't want the bother of filling out all the forms again
Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about bother

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Choose the Right Synonym for bother

Verb

annoy, vex, irk, bother mean to upset a person's composure. annoy implies a wearing on the nerves by persistent petty unpleasantness. their constant complaining annoys us vex implies greater provocation and stronger disturbance and usually connotes anger but sometimes perplexity or anxiety. vexed by her son's failure to clean his room irk stresses difficulty in enduring and the resulting weariness or impatience of spirit. careless waste irks the boss bother suggests interference with comfort or peace of mind. don't bother me while I'm reading

Examples of bother in a Sentence

Verb

 He's so easygoing. Nothing seems to bother him. Something he said at the meeting has been bothering me. The entire car trip was filled with complaints like, “Mom, David keeps bothering me!” and “Will you tell him to quit bothering me?”. Mother used to cook elaborate dinners, but with only herself to cook for, she doesn't bother anymore. “Should I call later?” “No, don't bother.” I'm not going to bother with the details.

Noun

 Replacing the windows could be more of a bother than it's worth. I know what a bother driving into the city can be this time of day. “Sorry to bother you.” “That's okay, it's no bother at all.” I considered replacing that part of the floor but decided it wasn't worth the bother. He doesn't want the bother of filling out all those forms again. Will you mail this for me? It will save me the bother of going to the post office.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

 First baseman Brandon Belt didn’t bother to charge. — John Shea, SFChronicle.com, "Giants’ Dereck Rodriguez splendid in 1-0 loss to Cardinals," 3 Sep. 2019 When moving house is so expensive, many people may not bother. — The Economist, "Why America’s real-estate brokers are such a rip-off," 29 Aug. 2019 The new attack requires computing two such tables, each of which takes weeks of computation—long enough that Wouters didn't bother to finish creating the second one. — Andy Greenberg, WIRED, "Hackers Could Steal a Tesla Model S by Cloning Its Key Fob—Again," 27 Aug. 2019 Given these constraints, many doctors don’t bother. — Nina Feldman, chicagotribune.com, "Among hurdles for those with opioid addictions: Getting the drug to treat it," 26 Aug. 2019 And only when the Ravens approached the goal line did cornerbacks bother to give him less than 10 yards of cushion. — Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, "Finally on field, Marquise Brown shows potential in Ravens’ weather-shortened 26-15 preseason win vs. Eagles," 23 Aug. 2019 In America today, doctors and hospitals typically don't bother to compete on price. — Scott W. Atlas For Cnn Business Perspectives, CNN, "Trump'

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