# bother

Pronunciation: US say "BAH-thur" /ˈbɑðɚ/; say "BO-thuh" UK /ˈbɒðə(ɹ)/, AUS /ˈbɔðə(ɹ)/

## Verb

1. To annoy, disturb, or irritate someone, or to cause them trouble.
   - Simple: To annoy or upset someone, or to cause them trouble.
   - _Don't let his rude comments bother you._
   - _The constant noise from the construction site bothered everyone in the office._
2. To take the trouble or make the effort to do something.
   - Simple: To make the effort to do something.
   - _She never bothers to lock the back door._
   - _I won't bother to explain it again._
4. To feel care or concern, or to inconvenience oneself out of concern for someone or something.
   - Simple: To feel concern about something, or to worry about it.
   - _He doesn't bother about appearances._
   - _Few people bothered about the rules back then._
5. To take the trouble to do something that involves only negligible inconvenience.
   - Simple: To do something small that takes hardly any effort.
   - _He couldn't bother to reply to such a simple message._
   - _She didn't bother flipping the switch on her way out._
7. Used as a mild oath to damn or curse something.
   - Simple: A gentle way of saying 'damn it' about something annoying.
   - _Bother the expense. We're going anyway._
   - _She told him to bother the rules and do as he pleased._

## Noun

3. Trouble or inconvenience caused by having to deal with something.
   - Simple: Trouble or difficulty that takes time and effort.
   - _Fixing the leak turned out to be more bother than it was worth._
   - _He went to all that bother just to surprise her._
6. Fuss or commotion, especially needless or excessive activity around something minor.
   - Simple: A lot of fuss or excitement about something.
   - _All that bother over a missing spoon seemed ridiculous._
   - _The wedding caused weeks of bother for the whole family._

## Interjection

8. Said to express mild annoyance or irritation. *(dated)*
   - Simple: Said when something mildly annoys you.
   - _Bother! The milk has spoiled again._
   - _Oh, bother, now we'll have to start all over._

## Origin

Borrowed from the Scots word 'bauther' or 'bather' ('to bother'), of unknown origin. It is perhaps related to Scots 'pother' ('to make a commotion') or to Irish 'bodhaire' ('noise') and 'bodhraim' ('to deafen, annoy').

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/bother (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).