bother

1 a state of noisy, confused activity the whole household was in a bother, as our overnight guests were expected to arrive any minute Synonyms of bother ado, alarums and excursions, ballyhoo, blather, bluster, bobbery, commotion, bustle, clatter, clutter [chiefly dialect], coil, corroboree [Australian], disturbance, do [chiefly dialect], foofaraw, fun, furor, furore, fuss, helter-skelter, hoo-ha (also hoo-hah), hoopla, hubble-bubble, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly, hurly-burly, hurricane, hurry, hurry-scurry (or hurry-skurry), kerfuffle [chiefly British], moil, pandemonium, pother, row, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, shindy, splore [Scottish], squall, stew, stir, storm, to-do, tumult, turmoil, uproar, welter, whirl, williwaw, zooWords Related to bother cacophony, clamor, din, howl, hue and cry, noise, outcry, racket, roar; disorder, unrest, upheaval; eruption, flare-up, flurry, flutter, outbreak, outburst; brawl, fracas, fray, hassle, melee (also mêlée), scuffle; dither, fever, fret, lather, tizzyNear Antonyms of bother calm, hush, peace, quiet, quietude, rest, stillness, tranquillity (or tranquility); order, orderliness

2 one who is obnoxiously annoying the woman next-door is such a bother—always dropping in at the most inopportune moments! Synonyms of bother annoyance, annoyer, nuisance, gadfly, gnawer, nudnik (also nudnick), pain, persecutor, pest, tease, teaserWords Related to bother headache; harrier, heckler, interrupter (also interruptor); hassle, plague; harasser, molester, tormentor (also tormenter), torturerNear Antonyms of bother charmer, smoothy (or smoothie); comforter, solacer, soother

3 something that is a source of irritation returning damaged goods is a real bother Synonyms of bother aggravation, aggro [British], annoyance, botheration, bugbear, exasperation, frustration, hair shirt, hassle, headache, inconvenience, irk, irritant, nuisance, peeve, pest, rub, ruffle, thorn, trial, vexationWords Related to bother discomfort, fleabite, pinprick; affront, insult, offense (or offence); upset, worry; affliction, albatross, burden, cross, curse, menace, millstone, plague, sore; anxiety, plight, predicament, tribulation, trouble; hang-up, pet peeve, problem; annoyer, disturber, harasser, mischief, offender; pandora's boxNear Antonyms of bother delight, joy, pleasure

4 the feeling of impatience or anger caused by another's repeated disagreeable acts never let his personal bothers interfere with his responsibilities at work Synonyms of bother aggravation, aggro [British], annoyance, botheration, exasperation, frustration, grief, irritation, pip [chiefly British], vexationWords Related to bother agitation, discomfort, displeasure, distress, disturbance, upset; irritability, irritableness, peeve, perturbation, pet, pique, resentment, snappishness, trouble; anger, angriness, chafe, dander, dudgeon, gall, huff, indignation, irateness, ire, outrage, umbrageNear Antonyms of bother delight, pleasure

1 to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation I am never going to get this work done if people don't stop wandering into the room and bothering me Synonyms of bother bug, chivy (or chivvy), disturb, intrude (upon), pester Words Related to bother inconvenience, trouble; aggravate, annoy, bedevil, chafe, devil, dog, dun, exasperate, fret, gall, get, gnaw, grate, hassle, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, persecute, pique, put out, rankle, rasp, rile, roil, torment, vex, worry; beleaguer, beset, besiege; distress, plague; afflict, harass, provoke; anger, antagonize, enrage, incense, inflame (also enflame), infuriate, madden, outrage; agitate, perturb; butt in, cut in (on), obtrude; encroach, infringe, invade, trespass Near Antonyms of bother disregard, forget, ignore, leave, slight; appease, conciliate, disarm, mollify, oblige, placate; delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy; comfort, console, content

2 to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts it bothers me when obviously sick people go to concerts and spend the whole time coughing and sneezing Synonyms of bother aggravate, annoy, irritate, bug, burn (up), chafe, eat, exasperate, frost, gall, get, grate, gripe, hack (off), irk, itch, nark [British], nettle, peeve, persecute, pique, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, spite, vexWords Related to bother hassle, heckle; nag; inflame (also enflame), provoke, rouse; badger, bait, bullyrag (also ballyrag), devil, hagride, harass, harry, pester, plague, tease; anger, antagonize, enrage, incense, infuriate, madden, rankle, roil; agitate, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, exercise, freak (out), fret, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, worry; affront, insult, miff, offend, outrageNear Antonyms of bother appease, conciliate, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, propitiate; delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy; assure, cheer, comfort, console, content, quiet, reassure, solace, soothe

3 to experience concern or anxiety just get the basic concept right and don't bother about the details Synonyms of bother worry, fear, fret, fuss, stew, stress, sweat, troubleWords Related to bother agonize; long, pine, yearn; chafe; despairNear Antonyms of bother accept; abide, bear, endure, stick out, stomach, sustain, take, tolerate

4 to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy the stranger lurking outside her office building bothered her Synonyms of bother agitate, ail, alarm (also alarum), disturb, concern, derail, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distemper, distract, distress, exercise, flurry, frazzle, freak (out), fuss, hagride, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, weird out, worryWords Related to bother aggravate, anger, annoy, bug, chafe, chivy (or chivvy), exasperate, fret, gall, get, grate, harass, harry, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put off, put out, rile, vex; bedevil, haunt, plague; abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, jar, mortify, nonplus, rattle, shake up; daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, unnerveNear Antonyms of bother allay, alleviate, assuage; appease, conciliate, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiateAntonyms of bother calm, compose, quiet, settle, soothe, tranquilize (also tranquillize)