bother
//ˈbɔðə(ɹ)//
Forms
- present (v1)
- bother
- past (v2)
- bothered
- past participle (v3)
- bothered
- present participle
- bothering
- 3rd person singular
- bothers
- Plural
- bothers
Definitions
1.To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for.
- Would it bother you if I smoked?
2.To feel care or concern; to burden or inconvenience oneself out of concern.
- I never bother about such trivialities.
- I wouldn't bother with an umbrella if I were you.
3.To take the trouble, to trouble oneself (to do something).
- You didn’t even bother to close the door.
- Why do I even bother to try?
1.Fuss, ado.
- There was a bit of bother at the hairdresser's when they couldn't find my appointment in the book.
- 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.
Frequency
Overall
Common· #1962
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Uncommon
- General reading & writing
- Common
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Uncommon
Related words
Word family
Etymology
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.