Meanings
present singular third person bothers · participle present bothering · participle past bothered · past bothered
- transitiveTo annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for.
Would it bother you if I smoked?
Synonyms: annoy, disturb, inconvenience, irritate, put out, vex, aggravate, annoy
- intransitivereflexiveTo feel care or concern; to burden or inconvenience oneself out of concern.
I never bother about such trivialities.
2 more examples
I wouldn't bother with an umbrella if I were you.
To expand, without bothering about it—without shiftless timidity on one side, or loquacious eagerness on the other—to the full compass of what he would have called a "pleasant" experience, was Newman's most definite programme of life.
1876 July, Henry James, Jr., chapter V, in The American, Boston, Mass.: James R[ipley] Osgood and Company, […], published 5 May 1877, →OCLC, page 87Synonyms: care, mind, becare, care, concern oneself, heed, mind, reck
- catenativeintransitiveTo take the trouble, to trouble oneself (to do something).
Why do I even bother to try?
Synonyms: go to the trouble, take the trouble
- catenativeintransitiveTo do something which is of negligible inconvenience.
You didn’t even bother to close the door.
Synonyms: go to the trouble, take the trouble
plural bothers
- countableuncountableFuss, ado.
There was a bit of bother at the hairdresser's when they couldn't find my appointment in the book.
1 more example
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.
2015 January 18, Monty Munford, “What’s the point of carrying a mobile phone nowadays?”, in The Daily TelegraphSynonyms: ado, argy-bargy, bangarang, bobbery, brouhaha, bunfight, bustle, bust-up
- countableuncountableTrouble, inconvenience.
Yes, I can do that for you—it’s no bother.
Synonyms: annoyance, faff, grievance, hassle, inconvenience, irritation, nuisance, palaver
- datedeuphemisticA mild expression of annoyance.
"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!"
1926, A A Milne, Winnie the Pooh, Methuen & Co., Ltd., Chapter 2 ...in which Pooh goes visiting and gets into a tight place2 more examples
She flung off her sealskin paletot and the beautiful felt hat, not heeding that they rolled off the untidy bed upon the floor. / “Sarah,” whispered Mrs. Malone, “what you goin’ to do? Look at your elegant clothes on the floor.” / “Oh, bother!” retorted Sarah.
1894, Lucy C[ecil] Lillie, chapter XXVI, in A Family Dilemma: A Story for Girls, Philadelphia, Pa.: Porter & Coates, →OCLC, page 171[H]e suddenly flung down his brush on the floor, said "Bother!" and "Oh blow!" and also "Hang spring-cleaning!" and bolted out of the house without even waiting to put on his coat.
1908, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, London: Wordsworth Classics, published 1993, page 11Synonyms: botheration, blast, dang, darn, drat, phooey, fiddlesticks
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for.
verbDamn; curse.
verbTo feel care or concern; to burden or inconvenience oneself out of concern.
verbTo take the trouble, to trouble oneself (to do something).
verbTo do something which is of negligible inconvenience.
nounFuss, ado.
nounTrouble, inconvenience.
interjectionA mild expression of annoyance.
More synonyms by meaning
nounsomething or someone that causes trouble; a source of unhappiness
verbtake the trouble to do something; concern oneself
verbcause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
verbto cause inconvenience or discomfort to
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Scotsbauther
- Englishbother
Borrowed 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”).
More words from Scots
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans pla, steur
- plato annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- steurto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- moeitetrouble, inconvenience
Ancient Greek ἐνοχλῶ, ὀχλέω
- ἐνοχλῶ (enokhlô)to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- ὀχλέω (okhléō)to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- σκύλλω (skúllō)to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
Arabic أزْعَجَ, يَزْعَجْ
- أزْعَجَto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- يَزْعَجْ (yazʕaj)mild expression of annoyance/irritation
- يُضَايِقْ (yuḍāyiq)mild expression of annoyance/irritation
Bulgarian безпокоя, дразня
- безпокоя (bezpokoja)to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- дразня (draznja)to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- досаждам (dosaždam)to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- грижи (griži)fuss, ado
- безпокойство (bezpokojstvo)fuss, ado
- неприятности (neprijatnosti)trouble, inconvenience
Catalan molestar, disturbar
- molestarto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- disturbarto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- perturbarto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
Chinese Mandarin 煩擾 /烦扰, 麻煩 /麻烦
- 煩擾 /烦扰 (fánrǎo)to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- 麻煩 /麻烦 (máfan)to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- 費事 /费事 (fèishì)to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- 鬧騰 /闹腾 (nàoténg)fuss, ado
- 麻煩 /麻烦 (máfán)trouble, inconvenience
Czech vadit
- vaditto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
Danish mas
- masfuss, ado
Dutch storen, moeite doen
- storento annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- moeite doento take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- moeitetrouble, inconvenience
- verdoriemild expression of annoyance/irritation
Esperanto ĝeni, malordigi
- ĝenito annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- malordigito annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- perturbito annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- ĝenaĵotrouble, inconvenience
- aĉmild expression of annoyance/irritation
Estonian tüütama, tülitama
- tüütamato annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- tülitamato annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- vaevumato do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- vaevumato take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- vaeva nägemato take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- tülintrouble, inconvenience
- nuhtlustrouble, inconvenience
Finnish häiritä, vaivata
- häiritäto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- vaivatato annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- kiusatato annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- haitatato annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- viitsiäto do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- jaksaato do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- jaksaato take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- vaivautuato take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- viitsiäto take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- huvittaato take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- hälinäfuss, ado
- mekkalafuss, ado
- vaivatrouble, inconvenience
- häiriötrouble, inconvenience
- voi sentään!mild expression of annoyance/irritation
French bâdrer, déranger
- bâdrerto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- dérangerto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- embêterto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- gênerto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- daignerto do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- se donner la peineto do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- bâdrerto take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- zut!mild expression of annoyance/irritation
- mincemild expression of annoyance/irritation
German stören, nerven
- störento annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- nervento annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- Mühe machento take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- bemühento take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- Umständefuss, ado
- Schwierigkeitenfuss, ado
- verdammtmild expression of annoyance/irritation
- Mistmild expression of annoyance/irritation
Greek ενοχλώ
- ενοχλώ (enochló)to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
Hebrew הפריע, טרח
- הפריעto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- טרחto do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- טרחto take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- הטריח את עצמוto take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- טרחה (t'irkha)trouble, inconvenience
Hungarian zavar, zaklat
- zavarto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- zaklatto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- alkalmatlankodikto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- veszi a fáradságotto do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- veszi a fáradságotto take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- nyaggatásfuss, ado
- alkalmatlankodásfuss, ado
- gondtrouble, inconvenience
- fáradságtrouble, inconvenience
- vesződségtrouble, inconvenience
- kellemetlenségtrouble, inconvenience
- bajtrouble, inconvenience
- nyűgtrouble, inconvenience
- bosszúságtrouble, inconvenience
- teringettétmild expression of annoyance/irritation
- az ördögbemild expression of annoyance/irritation
- a csudábamild expression of annoyance/irritation
- a fenébemild expression of annoyance/irritation
Icelandic ergja, angra
- ergjato annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- angrato annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- vesenfuss, ado
- vesentrouble, inconvenience
- máltrouble, inconvenience
- vandamáltrouble, inconvenience
Irish cuir isteach ar, stró
- cuir isteach arto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- strófuss, ado
Italian disturbare, infastidire
- disturbareto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- infastidireto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- preoccuparsito do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- disturbarsito do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- prendersi la brigato do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- degnarsito do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- disturbarsito take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- prendersi la brigato take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- preoccuparsito take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- confusionefuss, ado
- trambustofuss, ado
- agitazionefuss, ado
- fastidiotrouble, inconvenience
- incomodotrouble, inconvenience
- seccaturatrouble, inconvenience
- problematrouble, inconvenience
Japanese 邪魔
- 邪魔 (jama)trouble, inconvenience
Latvian traucēt
- traucētto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
Māori whakapōnānā, whakararuraru
- whakapōnānāto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- whakararuraruto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- whakahōhāto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- whakatōweneweneto take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
Norwegian forstyrre, plage
- forstyrreto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- plageto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- bryto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- irritereto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- giddeto do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- giddeto take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- klussfuss, ado
- bryfuss, ado
- masfuss, ado
Polish niepokoić, naprzykrzać się
- niepokoićto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- naprzykrzać sięto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- kłopottrouble, inconvenience
Portuguese incomodar, chatear
- incomodarto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- chatearto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- dar-se ao trabalhoto do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- dar-se ao trabalhoto take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- incômodotrouble, inconvenience
- porcaria!mild expression of annoyance/irritation
- droga!mild expression of annoyance/irritation
- credo!mild expression of annoyance/irritation
Romanian deranja, incomoda
- deranjato annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- incomodato annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- necăjito annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- supărato annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- agitațiefuss, ado
- îngrijorarefuss, ado
- deranjtrouble, inconvenience
- incomodaretrouble, inconvenience
Russian беспоко́ить, беспоко́иться
- беспоко́ить (bespokóitʹ)to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- беспоко́иться (bespokóitʹsja)to feel care or concern
- трево́житься (trevóžitʹsja)to feel care or concern
- утруждать себя (utruždatʹ sebja)to do something which is of negligible inconvenience
Scottish Gaelic sàraich, buair
- sàraichto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- buairto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- cuir dragh airto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
Spanish molestar, agobiar
- molestarto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- agobiarto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- brearto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- cargosearto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- fastidiarto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- joderto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- importunarto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- incomodarto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- incordiarto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- jorobarto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- chingarto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- molestarse ento feel care or concern
- escándalofuss, ado
- alborotofuss, ado
- tumultofuss, ado
- jaleofuss, ado
- quilombofuss, ado
- carganciafuss, ado
- molestiatrouble, inconvenience
- jorobamild expression of annoyance/irritation
- rayosmild expression of annoyance/irritation
- carambamild expression of annoyance/irritation
Swedish störa, bry sig om
- störato annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- bry sig omto do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- idasto do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- besvärtrouble, inconvenience
Tamil படுத்து
- படுத்து (paṭuttu)to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
Thai รบกวน, กวน
- รบกวน (róp-guuan)to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- กวน (guuan)to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- กวนใจto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- ก่อกวน (gɔ̀ɔ-guuan)to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
Turkish rahatsız etmek, canını sıkmak
- rahatsız etmekto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- canını sıkmakto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- uğraşmakto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- sataşmakto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- bulaşmakto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- zahmet etmekto do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- uğraşmakto take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
- zahmet etmekto take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something
Ukrainian турбува́ти, турбува́тися
- турбува́ти (turbuváty)to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
- турбува́тися (turbuvátysja)to feel care or concern
- хвилюва́тися (xvyljuvátysja)fuss, ado
- турбува́тися (turbuvátysja)fuss, ado
- турбо́ти (turbóty)trouble, inconvenience
Vietnamese quấy rầy
- quấy rầyto annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to
Welsh trafferthu, ymdrafferthu
- trafferthuto do something which is of negligible inconvenience
- ymdrafferthuto do something which is of negligible inconvenience
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with bother
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
bother. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bother
“bother.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bother. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bother,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bother.
Source: bother on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.