pester

verb

pes·​ter ˈpe-stər 

pestered; pestering ˈpe-st(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

obsolete : overcrowd

2

: to harass with petty irritations : annoy

Synonyms

• bother
• bug
• chivy
• chivvy
• disturb
• intrude (upon)

Choose the Right Synonym for pester

worry, annoy, harass, harry, plague, pester, tease mean to disturb or irritate by persistent acts.

worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

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 Web

The 65-game rule will carry over, which eliminates players who could otherwise be in contention, such as the LA Clippers’ Kris Dunn or Derrick Jones Jr., who have pestered dribblers all season but haven’t played enough to make the ballot. —Fred Katz, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025

High-risk Labradors also tended to pester their owners for food more often. —Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2025

Both teams have long, athletic guards that can pester Hailey Van Lith and enough size to contend with Sedona Prince in the paint. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2025

When Lisa scrolls her phone for music to play, Manda pesters her daughter to cue up something by her childhood favorite, A-ha, which in turn prompts her to tell the story of one of her and Eddie’s first dates. —Judy Berman, TIME, 24 Mar. 2025

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

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pester

• ester
• esther
• fester
• jester
• nester
• nestor
• prester
• quaestor
• tester
• wester
• yester
• ancestor

Kids Definition

pester

verb

pes·​ter ˈpes-tər 

pestered; pestering -t(ə-)riŋ 

: annoy, bother