|
- pronunciation:
- ba
thr
- parts of speech:
- transitive verb, intransitive verb, noun
- features:
- Word Combinations (verb, noun), Word Explorer, Grammatical Patterns
part of speech: |
transitive verb |
inflections: |
bothers, bothering, bothered |
definition 1: |
to annoy or irritate, usu. with something minor.
She practices the piano during the afternoons when it doesn't bother anyone.- synonyms:
- aggravate, annoy, bug, hassle, nettle, peeve, trouble, vex, worry
- similar words:
- badger, eat, exasperate, fuss, gripe, harass, hound, irk, irritate, nag, needle, persecute, pester, pick on, plague, provoke, rile, roil
|
definition 2: |
to make puzzled, worried, or disturbed.
His answer bothers me because it just doesn't make sense.It bothers me when he's in a strange mood like this.[it + verb + smby + when + clause
]
It bothered him to see his mother flirting with the guests.[it + verb + smby + infinitive
]
It really bothers me that she stopped taking her pills.[it + verb + smby + that + clause
]
Doesn't it bother you that what you're doing is illegal?[it + verb + smby + that + clause
]
- synonyms:
- concern, confuse, disturb, puzzle, trouble, vex, worry
- similar words:
- baffle, befuddle, confound, fret, nag, perplex, perturb, pother
|
definition 3: |
to disturb or interrupt.
I'm sorry to bother you, but there is an urgent call for you.- synonyms:
- annoy, disturb, interrupt, trouble
- similar words:
- bug, discommode, eat, hassle, impose, worry
|
related words: |
accost, agitate, ail, beset, burden, cloud, concern, devil, disagree, distress, grate, harry, heckle, meddle, molest, oppress, pursue, spite, trouble, worry |
|
|
|
part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
definition 1: |
to make an effort; inconvenience oneself.
He rarely bothers to clean up his room.[verb + infinitive
]
I was surprised that he bothered to bring some flowers.[verb + infinitive
]
I'm not going to bother calling her when I know she's not there.[verb + gerund
]
I clean the floors, but I never bother with the dusting.Thank you for offering to make the bed, but please don't bother.- synonyms:
- trouble
- similar words:
- condescend, deign, endeavor
|
definition 2: |
to feel concern or slight worry (usu. used with negative verb).
Please don't bother about me; I can easily walk from here. |
related words: |
care, trouble |
|
|
|
part of speech: |
noun |
definition 1: |
a person or thing that is troublesome or annoying.
He used to find his little sister a bother, but now he enjoys spending time with her.These kinds of customer complaints are a real bother for the owner.It's too much of a bother for her to respond to all those emails.- synonyms:
- annoyance, chafe, headache, nuisance, peeve, pest, plague, trouble, vexation, worry
- similar words:
- bugaboo, concern, difficulty, gadfly, hassle, imposition, inconvenience, matter, pain, perplexity, problem, thorn, trial, upset
|
definition 2: |
a worried or confused state.
Her mother was all in a bother about the wedding invitations.- synonyms:
- anxiety, confusion, fret, sweat, tizzy, twitter, upset, vexation
- similar words:
- botheration, concern, dither, exasperation, flutter, lather, state, worry
|
related words: |
bore, care, chore, disturbance, nag, trouble |
|
|
|