Meaning & use
pestering
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“pestering” is a form of “pester”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Bothering someone again and again with requests, questions or demands until they feel irritated.
Grammar: Needs an object, often with for or with: pestering her for an answer.
Patterns
- pester someone
- pester someone for something
- pester someone with something
The children kept pestering their father for ice cream.
Stop pestering me about the party; I will tell you tomorrow.
Reporters were pestering the coach with the same questions.
noununcountable
The act of repeatedly annoying someone with demands or questions.
Grammar: Usually uncountable: constant pestering wore her down.
Patterns
- pestering from someone
After weeks of pestering, he finally agreed to lend her the bike.
The constant pestering from salespeople made her turn off her phone.
Word forms
| base form | pester |
|---|---|
| third person singular | pesters |
| past tense | pestered |
| past participle | pestered |
Common combinations
- pestering someone for money
- He kept pestering his cousin for money.
- stop pestering
- Stop pestering the waiter; the food will arrive soon.
- constant pestering
- Constant pestering by the dog meant no one could sleep.
- pestering with questions
- She was pestering her teacher with questions about the trip.
- keep pestering
- If you keep pestering her, she will say no.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nagging
- Nagging suggests repeated complaints or reminders to do something, while pestering is more about repeated asking.
- badgering
- Badgering is more forceful and aggressive than pestering, which is usually a lighter irritation.
- harassing
- Harassing is much more serious and can be threatening or illegal, whereas pestering is usually just annoying.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: pestering or pastering?
pestering vs pastering
This is not a standard English word; the correct spelling is pestering, from pest.
Practice
My little brother keeps ___ me to let him play on my tablet.
Choose one answer.
After keeps, the -ing form is needed, so pestering fits. Pestered, pester and pesters cannot follow keeps in this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pestering”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.