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

But this is now a 20-game stint of pestering Knicks defense — with no example better than during Sunday’s 25-point takedown of the San Antonio Spurs. —Fred Katz, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026

My own parents met coming out of a movie theater in New Britain when my less than suave Coast Guard father pestered my mother for a date. —Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026

Every day the press corps descended on both teams with pestering questions, some of which were obvious plants to promote products. —Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026

Rori Harmon and Jordan Lee led a defense that persistently pestered Gators guard Liv McGill, who entered the game as the SEC's second-leading scorer, in a 6-for-16 shooting performance that included nine of Florida's 21 turnovers. —Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026

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