Cool MateBother vs Weigh on you
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Bother
Top 1,000 (very common)B1verb
Weigh on you
Top 3,000 (common)
Most common: Bother
| Bother | Weigh on you | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈbɒðə(r)/","/ˈbɒðəz/","/ˈbɒðəd/","/ˈbɒðərɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈbɑːðər/","/ˈbɑːðərz/","/ˈbɑːðərd/","/ˈbɑːðərɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //weɪ ɒn juː//🇺🇸 //weɪ ɑn ju// |
| Meaning | to trouble or annoy someone | to make you feel worried or unhappy |
| Example | I didn't mean to bother you while you were working. | The deadline is starting to weigh on me. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 3,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | B1 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | don’t bother, bother someone, bother with, bother about, bother to | weigh on someone's mind, weigh heavily on someone, weigh on someone's conscience |
| Antonyms | ignore, assist, help | relieve, free, unburden |
| Common mistakes | Using 'bother' without an object, e.g., 'He bothers' instead of 'He bothers me.', Confusing 'bother' with 'disturb' which has a stronger connotation., Wrongly using 'bother' in positive contexts, like saying 'I don't want to bother you' when wanting to engage. | Used with wrong subjects, like 'it weighs on me' instead of 'the problem weighs on me.', Confused with 'weight on you' which is incorrect., Used in passive voice erroneously. |
| Usage notes | Used in everyday conversation to express annoyance or concern. More common in informal situations and may feel too blunt in formal contexts. | Used when something is bothering you. More common in informal contexts than formal ones. |
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Frequently asked questions: Bother vs Weigh on you
What's the difference between Bother and Weigh on you?
Bother: to trouble or annoy someone Weigh on you: to make you feel worried or unhappy
Which is more common: Bother and Weigh on you?
Bother is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Bother: I didn't mean to bother you while you were working. Weigh on you: The deadline is starting to weigh on me.
Can I use Bother and Weigh on you interchangeably?
Not always. Bother and Weigh on you are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.