tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.
children teased the dog
Examples of pester in a Sentence
Leave me alone! Stop pestering me!
one resident pestered the condo board about every little thing
Recent Examples on the WebDrew Barrymore is doing the Lord's work: pestering Adam Sandler about the status of a Happy Gilmore sequel.—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2024 Former Kings center Richaun Holmes pestered Sacramento with 16 rebounds while the Wizards were plus-15 in his 29 minutes.—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 23 Mar. 2024 That goes for pestering Mahomes with Nick Bosa off the edge, likely from the left defensive end.—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024 The Spartans’ five-game win streak came to a grinding halt along with their offensive and defensive rhythm, with the physical Wildcats pestering and pushing their way to a 88-74 victory Sunday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena.—Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 8 Jan. 2024 While his parents remain clueless, Dexter is typically pestered by his older sister Dee Dee and feuds with his neighbor Mandark, a fellow boy-genius.—Will Harris, EW.com, 20 Oct. 2023 Against the bigger and deeper Red Storm, the Foresters pestered on defense and made enough big shots to lead for much of the first three quarters.—Glenn Graham, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2024 McCarthy continued to pester the 22-year-old with questions about her music, before Eilish put a hand over her mouth.—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2024 Also, Lulu recently shared a video of her driver pestering her about his fate.—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pester.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
modification of Middle French empestrer to hobble, embarrass, from Vulgar Latin *impastoriare, from Latin in- + Late Latin pastoria tether — more at pastern
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