Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To cause to be irritated, especially by repeated acts; trouble or annoy: synonym: annoy.
- intransitive verb To make agitated or perplexed; upset.
- intransitive verb To intrude on without warrant or invitation; disturb.
- intransitive verb To give discomfort or pain to.
- intransitive verb To take the trouble (to do something); concern oneself with (accomplishing something).
- intransitive verb To take trouble; concern oneself.
- noun A cause or state of disturbance.
- interjection Used to express annoyance or mild irritation.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Blarney; humbug; palaver.
- noun Trouble; vexation; plague: as, what a bother it is!
- To bewilder; confuse.
- To give trouble to; annoy; pester; worry.
- [Used in the imperative as an expression of impatience, or as a mild sort of execration.
- Synonyms Pester, Worry, etc. See
tease , v. t. - To trouble one's self; make many words or much ado: as, don't bother about that.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To feel care or anxiety; to make or take trouble; to be troublesome.
- transitive verb To annoy; to trouble; to worry; to perplex. See
pother . - noun One who, or that which, bothers; state of perplexity or annoyance; embarrassment; worry; disturbance; petty trouble.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive To
annoy , todisturb , toirritate . - verb intransitive To do something at one's own inconvenience.
- verb intransitive To do something which is of negligible inconvenience.
- noun
Fuss ,ado . - noun
Trouble ,inconvenience . - interjection A mild expression of annoyance.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb make nervous or agitated
- verb to cause inconvenience or discomfort to
- noun an angry disturbance
- verb make confused or perplexed or puzzled
- verb take the trouble to do something; concern oneself
- verb intrude or enter uninvited
- verb cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
- noun something or someone that causes trouble; a source of unhappiness
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The Tongan king on the other hand is happy to have dispensed with Nepotism after sacking his own bother from the job as PM prior, and has used Sevele for bleeding the country dry of its hard earned dollars and aid by handing over millions of dollars in exchange for public owned assets that the king claimed belonged to himself.
Global Voices in English » Fiji faces suspension from Pacific Islands Forum 2009
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Yeah, hats off to them, no doubt most of them have been in bother that would make any man tremble.
Our Friends From The North « POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG Inspector Gadget 2009
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Sun Bear does have one valid complaint: Few who criticize or question his moniker bother to seriously investigate the matter by reading his blog.
Unlike Denzel or Will, the "Book of Eli" is coming Steven Barnes 2010
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Does the impression the New York senator can't win bother her?
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OK, first off, does the fact that the flight number in the episode title bother anyone else?
Lost: 316 – TV Shows 2009
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Years of being “in bother” makes saying nothing as natural as breathing.
Friday Night In Out-Patients « POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG Inspector Gadget 2007
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"For anyone to say, 'I don't have a budget' or 'I don't want to bother' is like going to play professional football but saying you don't want to learn how to block," says Phillip Cook, a financial planner at Cook and Associates in Los Angeles.
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Why do you freakin bother responding to wwallace who is a moron member of the ruling killer elite
Think Progress » Cheney Promotes Individuals Named In Indictment 2005
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The Bucs came out looking like the cold temperatures would once again bother them, punting on all seven of their first-half possessions.
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(Laughter and applause) Now, the situation in Palestine is roughly this: On the north we are safe; the French have a mandate north of Damascus, about Syria and along the Baghdad Railway, and they keep us from any bother from the north.
bilby commented on the word bother
"PROSERPINE: Bother! You've been meddling with my typewriter, Mr. Marchbanks; and there's not the least use in your trying to look as if you hadn't.
MARCHBANKS (timidly): I'm very sorry, Miss Garnett. I only tried to make it write."
- George Bernard Shaw, 'Candida'.
December 13, 2008
sionnach commented on the word bother
Is that one of Shaw's fungal plays?
Bother, mother! Not another brother! What a pother!
December 13, 2008
vanishedone commented on the word bother
You don't say: 'Both his mother and sister had hanged themselves five years ago and this had always bothered Ligesh.'
Is this word taken to have a stronger sense in India, or is this sheer understatement?
June 9, 2009
bilby commented on the word bother
It's a bit Monty Python :-(
June 10, 2009