Pester \Pes"ter\ (p[e^]s"t[~e]r), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Pestered; p. pr. & vb. n. Pestering.] [Abbrev. fr.
impester, fr. OF. empaistrier, empestrer, to entangle the
feet or legs, to embarrass, F. emp[^e]trer; pref. em-, en-
(L. in in) + LL. pastorium, pastoria, a fetter by which
horses are prevented from wandering in the pastures, fr. L.
pastorius belonging to a herdsman or shepherd, pastor a
herdsman. See In, and Pasture, Pastor.]
1. To trouble; to disturb; to annoy; to harass with petty
vexations.
[1913 Webster]
We are pestered with mice and rats. --Dr. H. More.
[1913 Webster]
A multitude of scribblers daily pester the world.
--Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
2. To crowd together in an annoying way; to overcrowd; to
infest. [Obs.] --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
All rivers and pools . . . pestered full with
fishes. --Holland.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
pestering
adj : causing irritation or annoyance; "tapping an annoying rhythm
on his glass with his fork"; "aircraft noise is
particularly bothersome near the airport"; "found it
galling to have to ask permission"; "an irritating
delay"; "nettlesome paperwork"; "a pesky mosquito";
"swarms of pestering gnats"; "a plaguey newfangled
safety catch"; "a teasing and persistent thought
annoyed him"; "a vexatious child"; "it is vexing to
have to admit you are wrong" [syn: annoying, bothersome,
galling, irritating, nettlesome, pesky, pestiferous,
plaguy, plaguey, teasing, vexatious, vexing]
WordNet (r) 2.0
90 Moby Thesaurus words for "pestering":
adverse criticism, aggravating, animadversion, annoying, aspersion,
bad notices, bad press, blandishment, bothering, bothersome,
buttonholing, cajolement, cajolery, cajoling, captiousness,
carping, cavil, caviling, censoriousness, coaxing, criticism,
demanding, disturbing, dunning, exasperating, exception,
faultfinding, flak, galling, hairsplitting, harassing, hit,
home thrust, hostile criticism, hypercriticalness, hypercriticism,
importunate, importunateness, importune, importunity, imputation,
insistent, irking, irksome, irritating, knock, nagging, niggle,
niggling, nit, nit-picking, obloquy, overcriticalness, pesky,
pestiferous, pestilent, pestilential, pettifogging, plaguesome,
plaguey, plaguing, plying, pressing, pressure, priggishness,
provoking, quibble, quibbling, rap, reflection, reproachfulness,
slam, stricture, swipe, taking exception, teasing, tiresome,
tormenting, trichoschistism, troublesome, troubling, urgency,
urgent, urging, vexatious, vexing, wearisome, wheedling, worrisome,
worrying
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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