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 of pester

• bother

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

Just four years and five cycles into the Hughes and Gorton era in Montreal – an identical timeline to what the Canucks have gone through with Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin — the Canadiens are a playoff-calibre team, with the offensive juice to pester a Cup contender in the postseason. —Thomas Drance, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026

Agents insisted Expedia couldn’t refund us and told me to pester Alaska or EVA Air. —Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026

No kid brother tagging along, pestering him with questions, pushing up on his social circle. —Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 31 Dec. 2025

Toy companies and trinket manufacturers were buffeting kids with ads, and children were pestering their parents for gifts. —Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 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