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

In the clip shared on social media, the bird appears poised to go after a second player before veering off at the last moment, then continues pestering several others on the field until the referee is forced to pause the game. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026

Players like Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué and more have simply pestered country after country, possessing the ball well and finding all types of angles to strike on goal. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026

Reese pestered Cardoso at the top of the key and tapped rebounds up and out of her reach on the offensive boards. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026

Bonner brought the bull market with him to CSUF, bringing his pressing, pestering and passionate style of play to a fanbase starved for success. — Brian Robin, Oc Register, 8 June 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