pester

[pes-ter]

verb (used with object)

1. to bother persistently with petty annoyances; trouble.

   Don't pester me with your trivial problems.

   Synonyms: hector, harry, badger, plague, provoke, irritate, disturb, tease, vex, annoy
   Antonyms: entertain, delight

2. Obsolete.,  to overcrowd.

pester

/ ˈpɛstə /

verb

1. (tr) to annoy or nag continually

Other Word Forms

• pesterer noun
• pesteringly adverb
• pestersome adjective
• unpestered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pester¹

1530–40; perhaps aphetic variant of empester, impester to tangle, encumber (though pester is found earlier than these 2 words) < Middle French empestrer to hobble, entangle < Vulgar Latin *impāstōriāre to hobble, equivalent to im- im- ¹ + pāstōri ( a ) a hobble, noun use of Latin pāstōrius of a herdsman or shepherd + -āre infinitive suffix ( pastor ); aphetic form apparently reinforced by pest ( -er ⁶ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of pester¹

C16: from Old French empestrer to hobble (a horse), from Vulgar Latin impāstōriāre (unattested) to use a hobble, from pāstōria (unattested) a hobble, from Latin pāstōrius relating to a herdsman, from pastor herdsman

Example Sentences

The guy doesn’t listen — he just keeps pestering her — which makes their dynamic play like some sort of clunky runner about how men are dense.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s also inadequately resourced, thanks to a management that refuses to pay nurses and living wage and, instead, sends its top representative to pester Robby about raising satisfaction scores.

From Salon

Yes, Dickinson has gone 21st-century Dickensian; Mike pesters people for ketamine, vodka and spare change like Oliver Twist begged for porridge.

From Los Angeles Times

Her stress multiplies when an unknown stranger pesters her with secret air-dropped phone messages, anonymous texts that can only be sent within a 50-foot range.

From Los Angeles Times

For months, a man has been pestering residents in the South Bay’s beach cities with offensive remarks and vulgar language while filming the altercations and posting the videos on social media.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• annoy 
• badger 
• bedevil 
• hassle 
• hector 
• hound 
• irk 
• nag 
• tease 
• torment