pestered 1 of 2

adjective

as in badgered

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pestered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of pester
as in bothered
to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation one resident pestered the condo board about every little thing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pestered
Verb
Homeowners can’t obtain advice or accurate estimates without handing over their phone numbers and risk being pestered by overzealous salespeople. — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 19 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 Scheierman also hit two earlier threes, grabbed five rebounds and pestered Gilgeous-Alexander to force a third-quarter turnover to help Boston take down the defending NBA champions 119-109. — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 26 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 But with a game against powerhouse Massillon on the horizon, Mike pestered coach Gerry Rardin for weeks. — Chad Graff, New York Times, 4 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 Charles, who is a big fan of the Ravens, pestered Kelce for much of that visit about the Chiefs’ 17-10 win in the AFC Championship Game in 2024 in Baltimore. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2025 Williams missed four games last year from a hamstring strain that pestered him throughout the season. — Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pestered
  1. harassed
  2. bothered
  3. frustrated
  4. worried
  5. tortured
  6. harried
  7. tested
  8. tried
Adjective
  • Others were placed under house arrest, harassed or subject to extensive surveillance, or had their passports confiscated, according to prior NPR reporting and the findings of the United Nations and rights groups.
    — Emily Feng, NPR, 17 May 2026
  • For years, Christian clergy who live and work in Jerusalem have reported being frequently spat on, harassed and even physically attacked by Israeli extremists.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Definition of harassed
Verb
  • But Covid-19 layoffs aside, the San Francisco company hasn’t bothered to tidy up along the way, its chief executive says.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Never even bothered to deny any of the accusations that would eventually lead to Wednesday’s stunning NBA ruling against the LA Clippers in this landmark salary cap circumvention case.
    — Sam Amick, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of bothered
Adjective
  • No ball-knower would say the key to the Seahawks’ success was subtracting Metcalf, who grew frustrated with his role under one-and-done offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb in the season before Sam Darnold arrived.
    — Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The White House introduced sweeping tariffs that have at times frustrated Americans, who will head to the polls in November's midterm elections.
    — Jay Stahl, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of frustrated
Verb
  • Despite this baggage, the economic report her new organization drafted has concerned lawmakers worried about affordability.
    — Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • On Monday, Facebook posts about the Morris Barn in downtown Matthews began to circulate, with many residents worried the barn was falling into disrepair.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of worried
Adjective
  • But this leads to secrets revealed, lies told and tortured confrontations, not just with others but most intensely with himself.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Wuthering Heights In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte presents a world of conflicts, frictions between families, passions, and attachments—especially those of Catherine Earnshaw and the tortured Heathcliff—across an untamed landscape.
    — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of tortured
Adjective
  • Indeed, the footage of the harried production staff trying to keep the show going on from the office at Bray Studios where the shoot is happening sometimes plays like a vintage workplace comedy but with a dark undertow.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The Hawk fire forced the harried evacuation of more than 40,000 people.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of harried
Adjective
  • Each application is pre-tested and integrated into the platform to reduce deployment time and improve reliability for end users.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026
  • But summer back in New York, amid the fug of the city, requires a return to a tested and true formula.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 22 June 2025
Definition of tested
Adjective
  • But first, the premiere settles the audience into a tried and true cop drama with power struggles over jurisdiction, a local militia led by a man with his own agenda, and a suspect who literally blows the case wide open.
    — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Short films are a tried and true launching pad for horror directors.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
Definition of tried

Browse Nearby Words

pester
pestered
pestering
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Cite this Entry

“Pestered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pestered. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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