Meaning & use
mithering
Last updated
“mithering” is a form of “mither”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitiveBritishinformal
Bothering or pestering someone with repeated, annoying requests or complaints.
Grammar: Can take an object (mither someone) or stand alone, often with 'about' or 'on': stop mithering me; stop mithering on about it.
Patterns
- mither someone
- mither someone about something
- mither on about something
The kids kept mithering me for ice cream while I was on the phone.
Stop mithering your sister about her homework — she'll do it.
He's been mithering on about that broken fence all week.
noununcountableBritishinformal
The act of pestering or fussing over small, unimportant things.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun, often after 'all this' or 'no more': all this mithering.
Patterns
- all this mithering
- no more mithering
There was a lot of mithering about who should sit where.
I can't face the mithering of packing tonight.
Word forms
| base form | mither |
|---|---|
| third person singular | mithers |
| past tense | mithered |
| past participle | mithered |
| -ing form | mithering |
Common combinations
- stop mithering
- Stop mithering and let me think.
- mither someone for something
- They mithered us for a lift home.
- mither on about
- She's always mithering on about the weather.
- all this mithering
- All this mithering is getting us nowhere.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pestering
- Neutral and used in both British and American English; 'mithering' is more local and informal.
- nagging
- Suggests continuous criticism or reminders, while 'mithering' is more about fussing and bothering.
- bothering
- A general word for disturbing someone; 'mithering' adds a sense of repeated, trivial annoyance.
Opposites
Word family
- mither verb
- The base verb meaning to bother or pester.
- mithered adjective
- In northern British dialect, worried or flustered: 'She gets mithered over nothing.'
Commonly confused: mithering or mither?
mithering vs mither
The base form; 'mithering' is the -ing form or the noun. Don't write 'mithering' when you need a simple present: 'He mithers me', not 'He mithering me'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'mithering' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The -ing form follows 'is' and takes an object with 'for': 'mithering me for a new phone'. Option B misses 'for'; C misses 'is'; D uses the wrong form after 'is'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mithering”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.