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.
verb (used without object)
to take the trouble; trouble or inconvenience oneself: Don't bother to call. He has no time to bother with trifles.
noun
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.
interjection
Chiefly British. (used to express mild irritation.)
Origin of bother
First recorded in 1710–20; origin obscure; originally Hiberno-English; perhaps a hypercorrection of bodder, an alternative early form; perhaps a variant of pother
SYNONYMS FOR bother
1 harass, vex, irritate; molest, disturb.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR bother ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for bother
1. 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 provoke or irritate persistently with petty distractions.