bother
verb /ˈbɒðə(r)/
/ˈbɑːðər/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they bother | /ˈbɒðə(r)/ /ˈbɑːðər/ |
| he / she / it bothers | /ˈbɒðəz/ /ˈbɑːðərz/ |
| past simple bothered | /ˈbɒðəd/ /ˈbɑːðərd/ |
| past participle bothered | /ˈbɒðəd/ /ˈbɑːðərd/ |
| -ing form bothering | /ˈbɒðərɪŋ/ /ˈbɑːðərɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] (often used in negative sentences and questions) to spend time and/or energy doing something
- ‘Shall I wait?’ ‘No, don't bother’.
- I don't know why I bother! Nobody ever listens!
- If that’s all the thanks I get, I won’t bother in future!
- bother with/about something It's not worth bothering with (= using) an umbrella—the car's just outside.
- I don't know why you bother with that crowd (= why you spend time with them).
- He doesn’t bother much about his appearance.
- bother to do something He didn't even bother to let me know he was coming.
- He hadn't even bothered to read the crucial documents.
- Doctors never bothered to check his blood pressure.
- bother doing something Why bother asking if you're not really interested?
- I didn't bother trying to explain my feelings.
- [transitive] to annoy, worry or upset somebody; to cause somebody trouble or pain
- bother somebody The thing that bothers me is…
- That sprained ankle is still bothering her (= hurting).
- She has been bothered by a leg injury.
- ‘I'm sorry he was so rude to you.’ ‘It doesn't bother me.’
- bother somebody with something I don't want to bother her with my problems at the moment.
- bother somebody that… Does it bother you that she earns more than you?
- it bothers somebody to do something It bothers me to think of her alone in that big house.
- [transitive] to interrupt somebody; to talk to somebody when they do not want to talk to you
- bother somebody Stop bothering me when I'm working.
- Let me know if he bothers you again.
- Sorry to bother you, but there's a call for you on line two.
- Please stop bothering me with all these questions!
Word Originlate 17th cent. (as a noun in the dialect sense ‘noise, chatter’): of Anglo-Irish origin; probably related to Irish bodhaire ‘noise’, bodhraim ‘deafen, annoy’. The verb (originally dialect) meant ‘confuse with noise’ in the early 18th cent.
Idioms
be bothered (about somebody/something)
- (especially British English, informal) to think that somebody/something is important
- I'm not bothered about what he thinks.
- ‘Where shall we eat?’ ‘I'm not bothered.’ (= I don't mind where we go.)
can’t be bothered (to do something)
- used to say that you do not want to spend time and/or energy doing something
- I should really do some work this weekend but I can't be bothered.
- All this has happened because you couldn't be bothered to give me the message.
(all) hot and bothered
- (informal) in a state of worry or stress because you are under too much pressure, have a problem, are trying to hurry, etc.
not bother yourself/your head with/about something
- (especially British English) to not spend time/effort on something, because it is not important or you are not interested in it