different between bother vs blight

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Scots bauther, bather (“to bother”). Origin unknown. Perhaps related to Scots pother (“to make a stir or commotion, bustle”), also of unknown origin. Compare English pother (“to poke, prod”), variant of potter (“to poke”). More at potter. Perhaps related to Irish bodhaire (“noise”), Irish bodhraim (“to deafen, annoy”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: b??-th?r, IPA^(key): /?b?ð??/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): [?b?ð?(?)]
• (UK) IPA^(key): [?b?ð?(?)]
  • Rhymes: -?ð?(r)
• (US) IPA^(key): [?b?ð?]

Verb

bother (third-person singular simple present bothers, present participle bothering, simple past and past participle bothered)

1. (transitive) To annoy, to disturb, to irritate.

2. (intransitive) To feel care or anxiety; to make or take trouble; to be troublesome.
3. (intransitive) To do something which is of negligible inconvenience.

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive or the gerund (-ing). See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Synonyms

• (annoy): annoy, disturb, irritate, put out, vex; see also Thesaurus:annoy
• (make or take trouble): care, mind; see also Thesaurus:care

Derived terms

• bebother

Translations

References

Noun

bother (countable and uncountable, plural bothers)

1. Fuss, ado.

   There was a bit of bother at the hairdresser's when they couldn't find my appointment in the book.
2. Trouble, inconvenience.

   Yes, I can do that for you - it's no bother.

Synonyms

• (fuss, ado): See also Thesaurus:commotion
• (trouble, inconvenience): See also Thesaurus:nuisance

Derived terms

• bothersome
• spot of bother

Translations

Interjection

bother!

1. A mild expression of annoyance.
   • 1926, A A Milne, Winnie the Pooh, Methuen & Co., Ltd., Chapter 2 ...in which Pooh goes visiting and gets into a tight place:

     "Oh, help!" said Pooh. "I'd better go back."

     "Oh, bother!" said Pooh. "I shall have to go on."

     "I can't do either!" said Pooh. "Oh, help and bother!"

Synonyms

• botheration, blast, dang (US), darn, drat, phooey, fiddlesticks

Translations

Related terms

• be bothered
• bothered
• bothersome

Anagrams

• boreth

English

Etymology

Uncertain, however given that it was used at one point to refer to inflammation of the skin , quite possibly from Middle English *bleighte, *ble?te, from Old English bl?cþa (“leprosy”) (related to Old English bl??o (“paleness, leprosy”) and bl??e (“an itching skin-disease”)); or from Old Norse blikna (“to grow pallid”). Related to bleak.

Pronunciation

• enPR: bl?t, IPA^(key): /bla?t/
• Rhymes: -a?t
• Homophone: blite

Noun

blight (countable and uncountable, plural blights)

1. (phytopathology) A rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral organs.
2. The bacterium, virus or fungus that causes such a condition.
3. (by extension) Anything that impedes growth or development or spoils any other aspect of life.

Derived terms

• blighten

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

blight (third-person singular simple present blights, present participle blighting, simple past and past participle blighted)

1. (transitive) To affect with blight; to blast; to prevent the growth and fertility of.
   • 1695, John Woodward, An Essay toward a Natural History of the Earth and Terrestrial Bodies, especially Minerals, &c

     [This vapour] blasts vegetables, blights corn and fruit, and is sometimes injurious even to Men.

2. (intransitive) To suffer blight.

3. (transitive) To spoil, ruin, or destroy (something).
   • 1814, Lord Byron, The Corsair

     that lone and blighted bosom sears

Derived terms

Translations

References