Bother

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɔðə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. To cause inconvenience, worry, or distress to someone ; to exert effort or take trouble to do something ; to irritate or disturb a person or group
2. To create a sense of concern or trouble ; to put in effort with some difficulty ; to provoke annoyance or bother a person
3. To impose discomfort or anxiety on someone ; to try or attempt with care ; to upset or make someone feel uneasy

Etymology: The verb "bother" is one of English's stubborn mysteries: its origin is unknown. It seems to have been borrowed from Scots, where "bauther" or "bather" meant to bother, and its closest relatives are words about stirring things up. Scots "pother" meant to make a stir or commotion, and English "pother" once meant to poke or prod, a variant of "potter," which also meant to poke. That suggests a picture of someone jabbing at you until you are stirred into a fuss, though no one has proved the link. A few other guesses have been offered, including a possible connection to Irish words for noise and for deafening or annoying someone. These are tentative, and the sound of the Irish words is the main reason they have been suggested. The Scots and English forms remain the strongest evidence, and they agree on the core sense of agitation and disturbance.

Synonyms: disturb, trouble, annoy

Antonyms: calm, soothe