What does bother mean?
"Bother" is one of English's most versatile everyday words, functioning as both verb and noun. As a verb, it means to cause someone worry, annoyance, or inconvenience — as in a persistent caller who bothers you at work — and it also covers making an effort, usually in the negative: if you can't be bothered to cook, you order takeaway instead. As a noun, a bother is a nuisance or a troublesome matter, a usage especially common in British speech. The word carries a mild connotation; being bothered suggests irritation rather than serious distress, which makes it ideal for polite hedging in phrases like 'sorry to bother you'. Curiously, despite centuries of heavy use since its appearance in the early eighteenth century, its ultimate origin remains uncertain — a fittingly puzzling history for a word about puzzlement itself.
To cause someone to feel worried, annoyed, or inconvenienced; also, to make the effort or take the trouble to do something.
"Please don't bother about the dishes — I'll wash them later."
Frequently used in negative and interrogative constructions ('don't bother', 'why bother?', 'can't be bothered'), where it carries an informal tone.
Trouble, inconvenience, or a person or thing that causes irritation.
"It's hardly worth the bother of driving into town for one errand."
Often used in exclamations such as 'oh, what a bother!', particularly in British English; uncountable in the general sense of trouble.
The plural is rare because "bother" as a noun is typically uncountable when meaning general trouble; the countable plural refers to individual instances of irritation or specific nuisances.
"He brushed off all his minor bothers and carried on with the job."
"Bother" has no confirmed ancestor—after three centuries of daily use, lexicographers still aren't entirely sure where it came from!
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bother
The verb "bother" first appears in English writing in the early eighteenth century, and its deeper origin is genuinely uncertain — dictionaries including the OED record no definitive ancestor. A commonly proposed source is a dialectal or Irish connection, possibly influenced by the older word "pother" (meaning a confused disturbance), but this remains conjecture rather than established fact. The word spread quickly from colloquial use into standard English, gaining its noun form and derivatives such as "bothersome" along the way.
Related word forms
How bother is actually used
In negative constructions like 'can't be bothered' or 'don't bother', the word takes on a distinctly informal register. As a polite formula, 'sorry to bother you' softens an interruption. The noun sense ('what a bother') is more common in British English than American English.
Easily confused with bother
"Brother" means a male sibling; "bother" means to trouble or annoy—despite their similar spelling, they share no meaning.