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
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In his eulogy during Kobe’s memorial service, Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, recalled how Kobe would pester him with questions.—True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025 In footage from the 2024 game, Plum can be seen aggressively defending Clark, pestering her in a full-court press not usually seen in exhibition games.—Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 22 July 2025 Each bears a name co-opted into the English language to characterize human violence as animalistic, and include a definition—to badger: to pester, to bother.—Emily Van Duyne
july 24, Literary Hub, 24 July 2025 No kid brother tagging along, pestering him with questions, pushing up on his social circle.—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 21 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for pester
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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