bother
Get under skin
Bother covers a range of mild irritation and inconvenience.
To bother someone is to annoy or disturb them: Sorry to bother you, but do you have a minute?
Something that bothers you causes low-grade distress: It bothers me that he never apologized.
As a noun, a bother is a nuisance or hassle: Parallel parking is such a bother.
To not bother doing something is to skip the effort: Don't bother calling—I'll be asleep.
The British exclamation Bother! expresses mild frustration.
Cause mild anger
- exasperateAnnoy to frustration
- aggravateMake more severe
- irkTo mildly vex
- vexTo irritate persistently
nag · pester · badger · gall · provoke · needle · grate · ruffle
Break in upon
- disturbInterrupt or trouble
- intrudeEnter uninvited
- imposeForce acceptance of
- encroachAdvance beyond proper limits
interfere · meddle · disrupt · obtrude · pry · butt in · barge in · interject
Difficulty or distress
- fussAgitated, unnecessary concern
- inconvenienceMinor difficulty or trouble
- hassleIrritating difficulty
- exertionVigorous physical effort
difficulty · burden · nuisance · rigmarole · palaver · ado · struggle · ordeal
Harmful creature or nag
- irritantSource of vexation
- hindranceBarrier to progress
- inconvenienceMinor difficulty or trouble
- headacheCranial pain
thorn · aggravation · vexation · frustration · bugbear · pain · drag · trial
Troubled interest in something
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- uneaseMild persistent worry
- apprehensionNervous anticipation of trouble
- fretAgitation or fingerboard guide
stress · trepidation · disquiet · nervousness · distress · misgiving · preoccupation · trouble
irritate
Cause mild anger
- exasperateAnnoy to frustration
- aggravateMake more severe
- irkTo mildly vex
vex · nag · pester · badger · gall · provoke · needle · grate · ruffle · displease
interrupt
Break in upon
encroach · interfere · meddle · disrupt · obtrude · pry · butt in · barge in · interject · invade
trouble
Difficulty or distress
- fussAgitated, unnecessary concern
- inconvenienceMinor difficulty or trouble
- hassleIrritating difficulty
exertion · difficulty · burden · nuisance · rigmarole · palaver · ado · struggle · ordeal · chore
pest
Harmful creature or nag
- irritantSource of vexation
- hindranceBarrier to progress
- inconvenienceMinor difficulty or trouble
headache · thorn · aggravation · vexation · frustration · bugbear · pain · drag · trial · curse
concern
Troubled interest in something
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- uneaseMild persistent worry
- apprehensionNervous anticipation of trouble
fret · stress · trepidation · disquiet · nervousness · distress · misgiving · preoccupation · trouble · agitation
- Old-timey exclamationsgolly, gee whiz, jeepers, gadzooks, fiddlesticks
- Troublesproblem, trouble, issue, setback, snag
- agitateagitate, stir, rouse, disturb, rile up
- fussado, commotion, fussing, hassle, hoopla
- GET TO meaningsarrive, reach, access, enter, come to
- old exclamationszounds, gadzooks, egad, egads, forsooth
- don't botherDismissal of unnecessary effort
- hot and botheredAgitated, often with desire
- why botherRhetorical dismissal of effort
- couldn't be botheredUnwilling to make effort
- can't be botheredUnwilling to make effort
- be botheredFeel inclined to act
bothered, bothering, bothers, bothersome, unbothered, botheration, botherer