Definitions

pester

[pes-ter] / ˈpɛs tər /

VERB

bother, harass

Synonyms

STRONGEST

annoy badger bedevil hassle hector hound irk nag tease torment

STRONG

beleaguer bug disturb dog fret harry importune insist nudge plague provoke remind ride tantalize worry

WEAK

be at drive crazy drive up the wall get at get in one's hair get on one's nerves get to mess with pick at work on

Antonyms

STRONGEST

delight make happy please

STRONG

aid appease assist calm comfort forget help pacify reassure soothe

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There’s a store chain called Five Below that is designed to maximize pester power.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Ham-handed police officers pester Janey for details: Why did she touch Samantha’s dress?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

But every so often there’s one person who forgets to Venmo or Zelle or who I have to pester about sending their share a few times.

From Slate • Feb. 28, 2024

"They are predators and their main prey are insects, many of which eat our crops and pester our livestock," its website suggests.

From BBC • Aug. 5, 2023

We continued to pester them, and finally Professor Matthews, who was a lawyer, said that it had been a privileged conversation.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Vocabulary lists containing pester

"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act V

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Stargirl

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Crash

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