Pester
/ˈpɛs.tər/noun
To annoy or harass someone persistently.
Did you know?Pester ultimately connects to Latin pes, meaning “foot,” through a verb describing how someone could be impeded or entangled in movement.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ped-
“Foot; the root associated with walking and stepping”
Classical Latin
Latin
pes
“Foot”
Classical Latin
Latin
impedicare
“To entangle or hamper, literally to catch someone by the feet”
Middle French
Old French
empestrer
“To entangle, embarrass, or impede”
16th Century
English
pester
“To trouble, harass, or annoy persistently”
Modern English
English
pester
“To annoy or harass repeatedly”
Explore more surprising origins