Definition
to bother: to annoy, to trouble, to disturb; to make an effort
Don't bother calling Susie today, as she's on vacation. There's no point in calling Susie today, she's on vacation.
Stop bothering me, Philip. I want to be left alone.
I couldn't be bothered (to have a shower this morning): I didn't make the effort, I didn't have enough motivation (to have a shower this morning)
Pronunciation examples
UK: Stop bothering me, Philip.
US: I'm not bothering you, am I?
- "I want to bother you."
- "Brian : You mean are you bothering me?"
- "It would be a shame to have to bother Bruno with this."
- "However, I now have an answer to all of your concerns: health and safety, hygiene, nutrition, freshness of food, vegetarian options, vegan options, gluten-free options, kosher options, halal options, nut allergies, and all the other things you're always bothering me about."
- "No one bothers you in the window seat."
- "Don't let me bother you though."
- "I will meet you Thursday evening at the factory, at 6.00 PM. Don't worry about bothering the employees, they are used to working irregular hours and shifts."
- "John : Oh, ok, sorry to bother you."
- "I can get up without bothering anyone, and there's more room for my legs."
Still unsure of the best way to use 'Bother'? Improve your English thanks to our online English lessons. We offer a free test as well as a free level assessment!
What our users say:
Test your English with Gymglish today and get a free level assessment
Absolutely free - no strings attached.