bother
/ˈbɑðɚ/verb, noun, interjection
bother is spelled B-O-T-H-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 25 times per million words in written English, the 3,683rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, bother means “To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in bother?
| Letters | 6: B-O-T-H-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 25 times per million words; the 3,683rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is bother?
Bother appears 25 times per million words in written English, the 3,683rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce bother?
- Australia /ˈbɔðə(ɹ)/
- UK /ˈbɒðə(ɹ)/
- US /ˈbɑðɚ/
Bother has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-bother.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of bother
- bothers present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- bothering participle, present
- bothered participle, past
- bother!
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bother mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for.
Would it bother you if I smoked?
- 2
Damn; curse.
- 3
To feel care or concern; to burden or inconvenience oneself out of concern.
I never bother about such trivialities.
- 4
To take the trouble, to trouble oneself (to do something).
Why do I even bother to try?
- 5
To do something which is of negligible inconvenience.
You didn’t even bother to close the door.
noun
- 1
Fuss, ado.
There was a bit of bother at the hairdresser's when they couldn't find my appointment in the book.
- 2
Trouble, inconvenience.
Yes, I can do that for you–it’s no bother.
interjection
- 1
datedA mild expression of annoyance.
"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!"
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bother in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | bâdrer, déranger, embêter, gêner , daigner , zut! |
| German | stören, nerven , Mühe machen, bemühen , Umstände, Schwierigkeiten |
| Portuguese | incomodar, chatear , porcaria!, droga! , dar-se ao trabalho , incômodo |
| Spanish | molestar, agobiar, brear, cargosear, fastidiar, joder |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does bother come from?
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”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).