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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

Etymology

From Scots bauther, bather ‎(“to bother”). Origin unknown. Perhaps related to Scots pother ‎(“to make a stir or commotion, bustle”), also of unknown origin. Compare English pother ‎(“to poke, prod”), variant of potter ‎(“to poke”). More at potter. Perhaps related to Irish bodhaire ‎(“noise”), Irish bodhraim ‎(“to deafen, annoy”).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: bŏʹ-thər, IPA(key): /ˈbɒðər/
  • (Australia) IPA(key): [ˈbɔðə(ɹ)]
  • (UK) IPA(key): [ˈbɒðə(ɹ)]
    • Rhymes: -ɒðə(r)
  • (US) IPA(key): [ˈbɑðɚ]

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