Bother
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈbɔðə(ɹ)/ · Part of speech verb
Quick meaning: Bother is a verb meaning (transitive) To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for.
Meaning
(transitive) To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for.
More Meanings
- (intransitive or reflexive) To feel care or concern; to burden or inconvenience oneself out of concern.
- (intransitive, catenative) To take the trouble, to trouble oneself (to do something).
- Fuss, ado.
- Trouble, inconvenience.
- (dated, euphemistic) A mild expression of annoyance.
Example Sentences
Why do I even bother to try?
Would it bother you if I smoked?
I never bother about such trivialities.
Yes, I can do that for you—it’s no bother.
Word Forms
- bothers
- bothering
- bothered
Synonyms for bother
Depending on context, synonyms include botheration, blast, dang, darn, drat, phooey.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include botheration, annoy, vex, annoyance, nuisance, hassle.
Related Dictionary Tools
Practice “bother” in a Crossword
Recall this definition from a clue, use crossing letters, and review the word again when you solve it.
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.