pester Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb annoy persistently
    badger; beleaguer; bug; tease.
    • The children teased the boy because of his stammer

WordNet

Pes"ter transitive verb
Etymology
Abbrev. fr. impester, fr. OF. empaistrier, empestrer, to entangle the feet or legs, to embarrass, F. empêtrer; 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.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Pestered ; present participle & verbal noun Pestering
Definitions
  1. To trouble; to disturb; to annoy; to harass with petty vexations.
    We are pestered with mice and rats. Dr. H. More.
    A multitude of scribblers daily pester the world. Dryden.
  2. To crowd together in an annoying way; to overcrowd; to infest. Obs. Milton.
    All rivers and pools . . . pestered full with fishes. Holland.

Webster 1913