Dictionary
both•er
Pronunciation: (bo&thslash;'ur), [key]—
v.t.
1. to give trouble to; annoy; pester; worry:
His baby sister bothered him for candy.
2. to bewilder; confuse:
His inability to understand the joke bothered him.
—
v.i.
to take the trouble; trouble or inconvenience oneself:
Don't bother to call. He has no time to bother with trifles.
—
n.
1. something troublesome, burdensome, or annoying:
Doing the laundry every week can be a terrible bother.
2. effort, work, or worry:
Gardening takes more bother than it's worth.
3. a worried or perplexed state:
Don't get into such a bother about small matters.
4. someone or something that bothers or annoys:
My cousin is a perpetual bother to me.
—
interj.
Chiefly Brit.(used to express mild irritation.)
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.