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Bother vs Lother - What's the difference?

bother | lother |

As a verb bother

is to annoy, to disturb, to irritate.

As a noun bother

is fuss, ado.

As an interjection bother

is a mild expression of annoyance.

As an adjective lother is

comparative of loth.

bother

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To annoy, to disturb, to irritate.
    • Would it bother you if I smoked?
  • To feel care or anxiety; to make or take trouble; to be troublesome.
    • Why do I even bother to try?
  • * Henry James
    • without bothering about it
  • To do something which is of negligible inconvenience.
    • You didn't even bother to close the door.

    Synonyms

    * (annoy, disturb ): annoy, disturb, irritate, put out, vex * See also

    Usage notes

    * This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive'' or the ''gerund (-ing) . See

    Noun

  • Fuss, ado.
    • There was a bit of bother at the hairdresser's when they couldn't find my appointment in the book.
  • * '>citation
  • Trouble, inconvenience.
    • Yes, I can do that for you - it's no bother .

    Interjection

  • 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

    * blast, dang (US ), darn

    Related terms

    * be bothered * bothered * bothersome English control verbs

    lother

    English

    Adjective

    (head)
  • (loth)

    • loth

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (UK, rare)
    • I was loth to return to the office without the Henderson file.

    Usage notes

    * Often confused in meaning and pronunciation with loathe. * The loath spelling is about four times more common in the UK and about fifty times more common in the US. * This spelling had more currency in the US in the 19th century, appearing in Webster's 1828 dictionary, but not the 1913 edition.

    Quotations

    * (English Citations of "loth")

    Derived terms

    * lothly * lothness

    Anagrams

    * ----