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both·er

(bŏthər)

v. both·ered, both·er·ing, both·ers

v. tr.

1. To cause to be irritated, especially by repeated acts; trouble or annoy: “I spoke French badly. So I always replied to him in English. This didn't bother him” (Paul Theroux). See Synonyms at annoy.

2. To make agitated or perplexed; upset: “Jerry could see … how much the doctor had been bothered by the failure of the first surgery” (Rick Bass).

3. To intrude on without warrant or invitation; disturb: “When I saw him slumped in a chair, deep in thought, I decided not to bother him” (Pat Toomay).

4. To give discomfort or pain to: a back condition that bothers her constantly.

5. To take the trouble (to do something); concern oneself with (accomplishing something): “Most people [with the syndrome] have such mild symptoms that they never bother to see a doctor” (Jane E. Brody).

v. intr.

To take trouble; concern oneself: “old, hard-to-reach coal seams that were too complex or dangerous for other coal companies to bother with” (Jeff Goodell).

A cause or state of disturbance.

interj.

Used to express annoyance or mild irritation.

[Originally 18th-century Irish English bodder, bother, perhaps a variant of POTHER.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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