Borrowed from Scots bauther, bather (“to bother”). Origin unknown. Perhaps related to Scots pother (“to make a stir or commotion, bustle”), also of unknown origin. Compare English pother (“to poke, prod”), variant of potter (“to poke”). More at potter. Perhaps related to Irish bodhaire (“noise”), Irish bodhraim (“to deafen, annoy”).
Meanings
(dated, euphemistic) A mild expression of annoyance.
She flung off her sealskin paletot and the beautiful felt hat, not heeding that they rolled off the untidy bed upon the floor. / “Sarah,” whispered Mrs. Malone, “what you goin’ to do? Look at your elegant clothes on the floor.” / “Oh, bother!” retorted Sarah. 1894, Lucy C[ecil] Lillie, chapter XXVI, in A Family Dilemma: A Story for Girls, Philadelphia, Pa.: Porter & Coates, →OCLC, page 171:
[H]e suddenly flung down his brush on the floor, said "Bother!" and "Oh blow!" and also "Hang spring-cleaning!" and bolted out of the house without even waiting to put on his coat. 1908, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, London: Wordsworth Classics, published 1993, page 11:
"Oh, help!" said Pooh. "I'd better go back."
"Oh, bother!" said Pooh. "I shall have to go on."
"I can't do either!" said Pooh. "Oh, help and bother!" 1926, A A Milne, Winnie the Pooh, Methuen & Co., Ltd., Chapter 2 ...in which Pooh goes visiting and gets into a tight place
hu a fenébe (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · nl verdorie (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · pt credo! (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · ar يُضَايِقْ (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · hu a csudába (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · fr zut! (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · de verdammt (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · de Mist (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · hu az ördögbe (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · ar يَزْعَجْ (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · hu teringettét (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · es rayos (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · fr mince (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · fi voi sentään! (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · pt porcaria! (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · eo aĉ (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · pt droga! (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · es joroba (mild expression of annoyance/irritation) · es caramba (mild expression of annoyance/irritation)
Borrowed from Scots bauther, bather (“to bother”). Origin unknown. Perhaps related to Scots pother (“to make a stir or commotion, bustle”), also of unknown origin. Compare English pother (“to poke, prod”), variant of potter (“to poke”). More at potter. Perhaps related to Irish bodhaire (“noise”), Irish bodhraim (“to deafen, annoy”).
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) Fuss, ado.
It was a 15-minute return trip to walk back home to pick up my device, but I weighed it up and decided that it wasn’t worth the bother. 2015 January 18, Monty Munford, “What’s the point of carrying a mobile phone nowadays?”, in The Daily Telegraph:
There was a bit of bother at the hairdresser's when they couldn't find my appointment in the book.
Borrowed from Scots bauther, bather (“to bother”). Origin unknown. Perhaps related to Scots pother (“to make a stir or commotion, bustle”), also of unknown origin. Compare English pother (“to poke, prod”), variant of potter (“to poke”). More at potter. Perhaps related to Irish bodhaire (“noise”), Irish bodhraim (“to deafen, annoy”).
Meanings
(transitive) To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for.
Would it bother you if I smoked?
(euphemistic, imperative, transitive) To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for. ▸ Damn; curse.
(intransitive, reflexive) To feel care or concern; to burden or inconvenience oneself out of concern.
I never bother about such trivialities.
I wouldn't bother with an umbrella if I were you.
To expand, without bothering about it—without shiftless timidity on one side, or loquacious eagerness on the other—to the full compass of what he would have called a "pleasant" experience, was Newman's most definite programme of life. 1876 July, Henry James, Jr., chapter V, in The American, Boston, Mass.: James R[ipley] Osgood and Company, […], published 5 May 1877, →OCLC, page 87:
(catenative, intransitive) To take the trouble, to trouble oneself (to do something).
Why do I even bother to try?
(catenative, intransitive) To take the trouble, to trouble oneself (to do something). ▸ To do something which is of negligible inconvenience.
et vaevuma (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · es tomarse la molestia de (to feel care or concern) · ru беспоко́иться (to feel care or concern) · pt chatear (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · es molestarse en (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · sv idas (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · no plage (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · cy ymdrafferthu (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · fr embêter (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · cmn 費事 /费事 (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · el ενοχλώ (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · tr sataşmak (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · fi jaksaa (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · tr bulaşmak (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · fi viitsiä (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · izh rangata (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · gl amolar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · it disturbare (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · es cargosear (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · hu veszi a fáradságot (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · ro supăra (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · mk пре́чи (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · ca perturbar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · hy խանգարել (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · fi vaivautua (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · es chingar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · gl mornear (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · ro necăji (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · no bry (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · uz bezovta qilmoq (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · no forstyrre (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · it prendersi la briga (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · no irritere (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · gd cuir dragh air (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · sq shqetësoj (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · is angra (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · gl gravecer (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · cmn 麻煩 /麻烦 (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · bg безпокоя (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · mk возне́мири (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · sh smetati (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · no gidde (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · az narahat etmək (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · es agobiar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · fi kiusata (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · sa बाधति (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · et tüütama (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · it infastidire (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · fr déranger (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · hu zavar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · tr zahmet etmek (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · ro incomoda (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · nan-hbl 齪嘈 /龊嘈 (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · lv traucēt (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · th กวนใจ (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · he הטריח את עצמו (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · mk вознеми́рува (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · vec preocuparse (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · ga cuir isteach ar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · es incomodar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · es joder (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · fi jaksaa (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · eo ĝeni (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · es molestarse en (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · th กวน (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · uk турбува́ти (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · es fastidiar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · es jorobar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · ka გაღიზიანება (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · tr uğraşmak (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · pt dar-se ao trabalho (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · es tomarse la molestia de (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · bg дразня (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · ta படுத்து (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · fi haitata (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · it disturbarsi (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · pt dar-se ao trabalho (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · it preoccuparsi (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · fi viitsiä (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · it disturbarsi (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · et vaevuma (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · de Mühe machen (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · fi häiritä (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · cy trafferthu (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · mk до́саѓа (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · fi huvittaa (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · grc ὀχλέω (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · it degnarsi (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · nan-hbl 麻煩 /麻烦 (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · gl aburar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · is ergja (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · ru трево́житься (to feel care or concern) · nl storen (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · es brear (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · ru утруждать себя (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · th ก่อกวน (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · tr uğraşmak (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · arz كلف (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · vec dar fastidio (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · fi vaivata (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · th รบกวน (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · et tülitama (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · it prendersi la briga (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · ca disturbar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · ar أزْعَجَ (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · sl nadlegováti (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · mi whakapōnānā (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · vi quấy rầy (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · ro deranja (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · grc ἐνοχλῶ (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · fr bâdrer (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · uk турбува́тися (to feel care or concern) · fr bâdrer (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · pl naprzykrzać się (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · fr se donner la peine (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · he טרח (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · es molestar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · grc σκύλλω (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · mi whakararuraru (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · no gidde (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · he טרח (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · eo perturbi (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · lld sciaché (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · es molestarse en (to feel care or concern) · sv bry sig om (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · tr zahmet etmek (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · bg досаждам (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · et vaeva nägema (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · it preoccuparsi (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · chr ᎠᏕᏯᏙᏗᎭ (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · hu alkalmatlankodik (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · eo malordigi (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · hu veszi a fáradságot (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · de bemühen (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · cmn 煩擾 /烦扰 (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · lld dé mpaz (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · mi whakahōhā (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · hu zaklat (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · got 𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌱𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · pt incomodar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · es tomarse la molestia de (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · es incordiar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · af steur (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · om rakkisuu (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · fr daigner (to do something which is of negligible inconvenience) · dng мафан (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · de stören (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · sv störa (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · nl moeite doen (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · tr canını sıkmak (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · af pla (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · ca molestar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · ht deranje (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · he הפריע (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · pl niepokoić (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · tr rahatsız etmek (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · vec ronper (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · mi whakatōwenewene (to take the trouble, to trouble oneself to do something) · gd sàraich (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · gd buair (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · es importunar (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · de nerven (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · cs vadit (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · ru беспоко́ить (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · fr gêner (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to) · izh kiusata (to annoy, to disturb, to be troublesome to)