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Webster 1913 Edition


Bother

Both′er

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Bothered
([GREEK]);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Bothering
.]
[Cf. Ir.
buaidhirt
trouble,
buaidhrim
I vex.]
To annoy; to trouble; to worry; to perplex. See
Pother
.
☞ The imperative is sometimes used as an exclamation mildly imprecatory.

Both′er

,
Verb.
I.
To feel care or anxiety; to make or take trouble; to be troublesome.
Without
bothering
about it.
H. James.

Both′er

,
Noun.
One who, or that which, bothers; state of perplexity or annoyance; embarrassment; worry; disturbance; petty trouble;
as, to be in a
bother
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Bother

BOTH'ER

, the vulgar pronunciation of pother. [See Pother.]

Definition 2024


bother

bother

English

Verb

bother (third-person singular simple present bothers, present participle bothering, simple past and past participle bothered)

  1. (transitive) To annoy, to disturb, to irritate.
    Would it bother you if I smoked?
  2. (intransitive) To feel care or anxiety; to make or take trouble; to be troublesome.
    Why do I even bother to try?
    • Henry James
      without bothering about it
  3. (intransitive) To do something which is of negligible inconvenience.
    You didn't even bother to close the door.

Synonyms

Usage notes

  • This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive or the gerund (-ing). See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Translations

Noun

bother (countable and uncountable, plural bothers)

  1. Fuss, ado.
    There was a bit of bother at the hairdresser's when they couldn't find my appointment in the book.
    • 2015 January 18, Monty Munford, “What’s the point of carrying a mobile phone nowadays?”, in The Daily Telegraph:
      It was a 15-minute return trip to walk back home to pick up my device, but I weighed it up and decided that it wasn’t worth the bother.
  2. Trouble, inconvenience.
    Yes, I can do that for you - it's no bother.

Translations

Interjection

bother!

  1. A mild expression of annoyance.
    • 1926, A A Milne, Winnie the Pooh, Methuen & Co., Ltd., Chapter 2 ...in which Pooh goes visiting and gets into a tight place:
      "Oh, help!" said Pooh. "I'd better go back."
      "Oh, bother!" said Pooh. "I shall have to go on."
      "I can't do either!" said Pooh. "Oh, help and bother!"

Synonyms

Translations

Related terms