bother

verb

/ˈbɒðə(r)/

/ˈbɑːðər/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they bother	/ˈbɒðə(r)/ /ˈbɑːðər/
he / she / it bothers	/ˈbɒðəz/ /ˈbɑːðərz/
past simple bothered	/ˈbɒðəd/ /ˈbɑːðərd/
past participle bothered	/ˈbɒðəd/ /ˈbɑːðərd/
-ing form bothering	/ˈbɒðərɪŋ/ /ˈbɑːðərɪŋ/

Idioms

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[intransitive, transitive] (often used in negative sentences and questions常用于否定句和疑问句) to spend time and/or energy doing something花费时间精力（做某事）
- ‘Shall I wait?’ ‘No, don't bother’.“要我等一下吗？” “不，别费事了。”
- I don't know why I bother! Nobody ever listens!我不知道我干吗要浪费时间！根本没人听！
- If that’s all the thanks I get, I won’t bother in future!如果这就是我得到的全部感谢，我以后就不打扰了！
- bother with/about something It's not worth bothering with (= using) an umbrella—the car's just outside.不必打伞，汽车就停在外面。
- I don't know why you bother with that crowd (= why you spend time with them).我弄不懂你为什么和那伙人浪费时间。
- He doesn’t bother much about his appearance.他不太在意自己的外表。
- bother to do something He didn't even bother to let me know he was coming.他甚至连通知都没通知我他要来。
- He hadn't even bothered to read the crucial documents.他甚至懒得看这些重要文件。
- Doctors never bothered to check his blood pressure.医生从不费心检查他的血压。
- bother doing something Why bother asking if you're not really interested?如果你不是真的感兴趣，干吗费口舌打听呢？
- I didn't bother trying to explain my feelings.我懒得解释我的感受。
[transitive] to annoy, worry or upset somebody; to cause somebody trouble or pain使（某人）烦恼（或担忧、不安）；给（某人）造成麻烦（或痛苦）
- bother somebody The thing that bothers me is…让我感到不安的是…
- That sprained ankle is still bothering her (= hurting).她那扭伤的脚踝还在隐隐作痛。
- She has been bothered by a leg injury. 她一直为腿伤所困扰。
- ‘I'm sorry he was so rude to you.’ ‘It doesn't bother me.’“对不起，他对你太没礼貌。” “没关系。”
- bother somebody with something I don't want to bother her with my problems at the moment.我此刻不想让她为我的事操心。
- bother somebody that… Does it bother you that she earns more than you?她比你挣的钱多，你是不是觉得不自在？
- it bothers somebody to do something It bothers me to think of her alone in that big house.想到她孤零零地待在那所大房子里，我便坐立不安。
[transitive] to interrupt somebody; to talk to somebody when they do not want to talk to you打扰；搭话烦扰
- bother somebody Stop bothering me when I'm working.我工作时别来烦我。
- Let me know if he bothers you again.他要是再搅扰你，就告诉我。
- Sorry to bother you, but there's a call for you on line two.很抱歉打扰你一下，二号线有你的电话。
- Please stop bothering me with all these questions!请别拿这么多问题来烦我！

Word Originlate 17th cent. (as a noun in the dialect sense ‘noise, chatter’): of Anglo-Irish origin; probably related to Irish bodhaire ‘noise’, bodhraim ‘deafen, annoy’. The verb (originally dialect) meant ‘confuse with noise’ in the early 18th cent.

Idioms

be bothered (about somebody/something)

(especially British English, informal) to think that somebody/something is important认为（某人或某事）重要；关心（某人或某事）
- I'm not bothered about what he thinks.我不在乎他怎么想。
- ‘Where shall we eat?’ ‘I'm not bothered.’ (= I don't mind where we go.)“我们去哪里吃饭？” “随便。”

can’t be bothered (to do something)

used to say that you do not want to spend time and/or energy doing something（表示不想花时间精力做某事）
- I should really do some work this weekend but I can't be bothered.我这个周末真该做点事了，可我懒得做。
- All this has happened because you couldn't be bothered to give me the message.就是因为你嫌麻烦没通知我，才出了这事。

(all) hot and bothered

(informal) in a state of worry or stress because you are under too much pressure, have a problem, are trying to hurry, etc.（因压力过大、有难题、时间紧迫等）焦灼不安，心慌意乱

not bother yourself/your head with/about something

(especially British English) to not spend time/effort on something, because it is not important or you are not interested in it不为某事花费时间（或精力）；不操心

bother

noun

/ˈbɒðə(r)/

/ˈbɑːðər/

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[uncountable] trouble or difficulty麻烦；困难
- You seem to have got yourself into a spot of bother.你似乎惹上了点麻烦。
- I don't want to put you to any bother (= cause you any trouble).我不想给你添乱子。
- Don't go to the bother of tidying up on my account (= don't make the effort to do it).别为了我费事整理一番。
- ‘Thanks for your help!’ ‘It was no bother.’“多谢你的帮助！” “没什么。”
- Call them and save yourself the bother of going round.给他们打个电话就免得你亲自去了。
- I don’t mind looking after the children; they aren’t any bother.我不介意照看这些孩子，他们不烦人。
- She’s been having a bit of bother with her car.她对自己的汽车一直有些不满意。
Extra Examples
- He's got a spot of bother with his eyes.他的眼睛出了点毛病。
- He's having a little bother with his computer.他的电脑出了点儿毛病。
- He's in a bit of bother with the police.他跟警方有点儿麻烦。
- I don't mind looking after your dog—it's no bother to me.我不介意照看你的狗，这对我来说一点也不麻烦。
- I had a little bother finding your house.找到你家我可费了点儿事。
- I wouldn't go to the bother of making the cakes myself.我不会找麻烦自己做蛋糕的。
- I'd love to come and stay with you, but I don't want to put you to any bother.我想来跟你待在一起，但我不想给你添乱。
- It was no bother having the children to stay.让孩子们留下来一点儿也不麻烦。
- The children were no bother.孩子们很省心。
- We found the hotel without any bother.我们毫不费力就找到了旅馆。
- Your little boy didn't give me any bother.你的小儿子没有给我带来任何麻烦。
Topics Difficulty and failurec2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verb + bother
- have
- cause
- give somebody
- …
preposition
- without any bother
- bother to
- bother with
- …
phrases
- a bit of bother
- a little bother
- a lot of bother
- …
See full entry
a bother
[singular] an annoying situation, thing or person令人烦恼的情况（或事物、人） synonym nuisance
- I hope I haven't been a bother.希望我没烦扰你。

bother

exclamation

/ˈbɒðə(r)/

/ˈbɑːðər/

(British English, informal)

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used to express the fact that you are annoyed about something/somebody（表示对某事或某人烦恼）
- Bother! I've left my wallet at home.真烦人！我把钱包落在家里了。
- Oh, bother him! He's never around when you need him.哎呀，他可真讨厌！需要他的时候从来都找不到他。
Word Originlate 17th cent. (as a noun in the dialect sense ‘noise, chatter’): of Anglo-Irish origin; probably related to Irish bodhaire ‘noise’, bodhraim ‘deafen, annoy’. The verb (originally dialect) meant ‘confuse with noise’ in the early 18th cent.