Words
bother vs frustrate — mild annoyance vs blocked goal
A side-by-side comparison of meaning, examples, and nuance.
bother
/ˈbɑːðər/
annoy, take the trouble
To annoy someone or to take the trouble to do something.
frustrate
/ˈfrʌstreɪt/
annoy, prevent success
To make someone annoyed because they can't do what they want.
Core difference
"Bother" is a mild annoyance — small interruptions or irritations: "The mosquitoes are bothering me." "Frustrate" is stronger — you feel stuck because something blocks your goal: "Slow Wi-Fi really frustrates me when I'm studying."
Translations of bother and frustrate in 14 languages
| Language | bother | frustrate |
|---|---|---|
| 한국어 | 귀찮게 하다, 신경 쓰다 | 좌절시키다, 짜증나게 하다 |
| English | annoy, take the trouble | annoy, prevent success |
| 简体中文 | 打扰，麻烦 | 使受挫，使沮丧 |
| 繁體中文 | 打擾，麻煩 | 使受挫，使沮喪 |
| 日本語 | 邪魔をする、気にする | いらだたせる、挫折させる |
| Tiếng Việt | làm phiền, bận tâm | làm bực bội, gây thất vọng |
| Português | incomodar, importar-se | frustrar |
| Français | déranger, se donner la peine | frustrer |
| Deutsch | stören, sich Mühe geben | frustrieren |
| Español | molestar, tomarse la molestia | frustrar |
| Монгол | саад болох, санаа тавих | сэтгэлээр унагах, бухимдуулах |
| Bahasa Indonesia | mengganggu, repot-repot | membuat frustrasi |
| Bahasa Melayu | mengganggu, susah-susah | mengecewakan, menyukarkan |
| ไทย | รบกวน, ใส่ใจ | ทำให้หงุดหงิด, ทำให้สิ้นหวัง |
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