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bother(verb)BrE / ˈbɒðə(r) / NAmE / ˈbɑːðər / - 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!
- 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.
- He didn't even bother to let me know he was coming.
- Why bother asking if you're not really interested?
- to annoy, worry or upset somebody; to cause somebody trouble or pain
- The thing that bothers me is…
- That sprained ankle is still bothering her (= hurting).
- ‘I'm sorry he was so rude to you.’ ‘It doesn't bother me.’
- I don't want to bother her with my problems at the moment.
- Does it bother you that she earns more than you?
- It bothers me to think of her alone in that big house.
- to interrupt somebody; to talk to somebody when they do not want to talk to you
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.
- in a state of anxiety or confusion because you are under too much pressure, have a problem, are trying to hurry, etc.
- to not spend time/effort on something, because it is not important or you are not interested in it
Extra Examples- ‘I’m sorry he was so rude to you.’ ‘It doesn’t bother me.’
- Please stop bothering me with all these questions!
- Sorry to bother you, but there’s a call for you on line two.
- Stop bothering me when I’m working.
Verb Forms- present simple I / you / we / they bother
- he / she / it bothers
- past simple bothered
- past participle bothered
- -ing form bothering
Word Origin- late 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.
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