pester
/ˈpɛstə
/verb [with object]
Trouble or annoy (someone) with frequent or persistent requests or interruptions: she constantly pestered him with telephone calls...
- Unscrupulous companies will instead pester you with annoying phone calls or unannounced visits.
- Most of the popular girls from my school constantly pestered me for a picture of him, but I never gave them anything.
- The more she pesters him with emotional calls, the more irritated he becomes.
Synonyms
badger, hound, annoy, bother, harass, trouble, plague, irritate, irk, chivvy, keep after;
persecute, torment, molest, bedevil, besiege, harry, worry, beleaguer, nag, dun, importune
informal hassle, bug, aggravate, give someone a hard time, get on someone's nerves, drive round the bend, drive up the wall, get in someone's hair, get up someone's nose, get at, get on someone's back
Northern English mither
North American informal ride, devil
Derivatives
pesterer
- Thank you to everyone who tolerated my pestering emails (Im a good pesterer).
- Violets husband was a "pesterer," a traveling trader, who would go on the "knocker," roaming the country buying and selling silver, gold and clothing.
Origin
Mid 16th century (in the senses 'overcrowd (a place)' and 'impede (a person)'): from French empestrer 'encumber', influenced by pest. The current sense is an extension of an earlier use, 'infest', referring to vermin.