Synonyms of bother

bother 1 of 2

verb

ˈbä-t͟hər 

1

as in to worry

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 & Similar Words

• worry
• annoy
• disturb
• pester
• irritate
• harass
• bug
• intrude (upon)
• trouble
• provoke
• torment
• aggravate
• irk
• inconvenience
• chivy
• fret
• hassle
• exasperate
• vex
• anger
• dun
• bedevil
• rile
• devil
• gnaw
• rankle
• plague
• dog
• get
• persecute
• chafe
• invade
• distress
• beset
• put out
• infuriate
• afflict
• antagonize
• gall
• besiege
• pique
• agitate
• grate
• roil
• enrage
• perturb
• outrage
• obtrude
• cut in (on)
• encroach
• inflame
• beleaguer
• peeve
• infringe
• trespass
• incense
• rasp
• butt in
• madden
• nettle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• forget
• ignore
• leave
• disregard
• slight
• please
• oblige
• appease
• placate
• satisfy
• disarm
• delight
• gratify
• conciliate
• mollify
• content
• comfort
• console
• gladden

2

as in to annoy

to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts

it bothers me when obviously sick people go to movies and spend the whole time coughing and sneezing

Synonyms & Similar Words

• annoy
• irritate
• persecute
• bug
• get
• aggravate
• eat
• worry
• irk
• exasperate
• spite
• infuriate
• vex
• rile
• tease
• provoke
• plague
• chafe
• grate
• get to
• anger
• itch
• gripe
• put out
• burn (up)
• insult
• gall
• frost
• wear on
• offend
• pique
• ruffle
• hack (off)
• harass
• upset
• nark
• peeve
• nag
• rub the wrong way
• hassle
• nettle
• enrage
• rasp
• pester
• stick in one's craw
• get on one's nerves
• rouse
• heckle
• get one's goat
• set one's teeth on edge
• agitate
• unsettle
• badger
• antagonize
• outrage
• devil
• inflame
• rankle
• distress
• discomfort
• perturb
• fret
• harry
• bait
• undo
• exercise
• discompose
• unhinge
• roil
• affront
• incense
• disquiet
• hagride
• madden
• bullyrag
• freak (out)
• miff

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• oblige
• please
• appease
• placate
• satisfy
• pacify
• conciliate
• delight
• gratify
• assure
• mollify
• propitiate
• reassure
• cheer
• content
• comfort
• soothe
• quiet
• console
• gladden
• solace

3

as in to fret

to experience concern or anxiety

just get the basic concept right and don't bother about the details

Synonyms & Similar Words

• worry
• fret
• fear
• trouble
• stress
• fuss
• sweat
• stew
• give a hang
• long
• sweat blood
• yearn
• agonize
• pine
• despair
• chafe

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accept
• take
• tolerate
• endure
• bear
• sustain
• abide
• stick out
• stomach

4

as in to disturb

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

the boss's cryptic message about changes to the company bothered me

Synonyms & Similar Words

• worry
• disturb
• distract
• concern
• alarm
• annoy
• agitate
• unsettle
• upset
• anger
• haunt
• plague
• distress
• irritate
• confuse
• discomfort
• perturb
• dismay
• derail
• fuss
• undo
• embarrass
• ail
• exercise
• discompose
• unhinge
• rattle
• disquiet
• freak (out)
• aggravate
• pester
• discourage
• flurry
• harass
• weird out
• exasperate
• bug
• irk
• distemper
• vex
• hagride
• frazzle
• rile
• fret
• chafe
• put off
• bedevil
• put out
• get
• gall
• fluster
• harry
• faze
• pique
• confound
• grate
• mortify
• disconcert
• daunt
• discomfit
• peeve
• dishearten
• unnerve
• shake up
• chivy
• nettle
• dispirit
• discountenance
• jar
• abash
• demoralize
• nonplus

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• settle
• compose
• soothe
• alleviate
• quiet
• calm
• allay
• assuage
• appease
• tranquilize
• placate
• mollify
• pacify
• conciliate
• propitiate

bother

2 of 2

noun

1

as in hurry

a state of noisy, confused activity

the whole household was in a bother, as our overnight guests were expected to arrive any minute

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hurry
• commotion
• fuss
• stir
• disturbance
• noise
• turmoil
• racket
• fun
• clatter
• storm
• row
• clutter
• to-do
• pother
• do
• ado
• hurricane
• zoo
• hoopla
• bustle
• hubbub
• coil
• ruckus
• hullabaloo
• blather
• ballyhoo
• rumpus
• roar
• furore
• whirl
• splore
• tumult
• bluster
• ruction
• kerfuffle
• squall
• furor
• uproar
• stew
• hoo-ha
• moil
• shindy
• pandemonium
• hurry-scurry
• foofaraw
• alarums and excursions
• welter
• flurry
• hurly-burly
• bobbery
• helter-skelter
• upheaval
• howl
• hurly
• clamor
• outcry
• din
• hubble-bubble
• williwaw
• unrest
• disorder
• cacophony
• hue and cry
• flutter
• fret
• eruption
• fray
• outbreak
• hassle
• outburst
• brawl
• dither
• fever
• scuffle
• melee
• lather
• tizzy
• fracas
• flare-up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rest
• peace
• hush
• quiet
• calm
• stillness
• order
• tranquility
• quietude
• orderliness

2

as in nuisance

one who is obnoxiously annoying

the woman next-door is such a bother—always dropping in at the most inopportune moments!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nuisance
• annoyance
• tease
• pest
• annoyer
• pain in the neck
• gadfly
• headache
• pain
• teaser
• persecutor
• gnawer
• plague
• nudnik
• hassle
• harrier
• interrupter
• heckler
• torturer
• harasser
• tormentor
• molester

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• charmer
• comforter
• soother
• smoothy
• solacer

3

as in headache

something that is a source of irritation

returning damaged goods is a real bother

Synonyms & Similar Words

• headache
• worry
• nuisance
• thorn
• frustration
• inconvenience
• problem
• irk
• annoyance
• rub
• irritant
• hassle
• aggravation
• hair shirt
• exasperation
• bugbear
• peeve
• insult
• botheration
• pest
• vexation
• ruffle
• trouble
• trial
• discomfort
• burden
• menace
• aggro
• upset
• curse
• plague
• affront
• predicament
• anxiety
• pinprick
• cross
• plight
• sore
• offender
• pet peeve
• disturber
• annoyer
• albatross
• tribulation
• millstone
• offense
• fleabite
• harasser
• hang-up
• mischief
• affliction
• pandora's box

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pleasure
• joy
• delight

4

as in frustration

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 & Similar Words

• frustration
• irritation
• exasperation
• annoyance
• displeasure
• grief
• trouble
• aggravation
• discomfort
• anger
• vexation
• upset
• pip
• botheration
• indignation
• agitation
• aggro
• distress
• irritability
• outrage
• disturbance
• pet
• resentment
• pique
• irritableness
• perturbation
• gall
• ire
• umbrage
• snappishness
• peeve
• dander
• chafe
• dudgeon
• huff
• angriness
• irateness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pleasure
• delight

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb bother differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bother are annoy, irk, and vex. While all these words mean "to upset a person's composure," bother suggests interference with comfort or peace of mind.

don't bother me while I'm reading

In what contexts can annoy take the place of bother?

The words annoy and bother are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, annoy implies a wearing on the nerves by persistent petty unpleasantness.

their constant complaining annoys us

When can irk be used instead of bother?

Although the words irk and bother have much in common, irk stresses difficulty in enduring and the resulting weariness or impatience of spirit.

careless waste irks the boss

When is it sensible to use vex instead of bother?

The synonyms vex and bother are sometimes interchangeable, but vex implies greater provocation and stronger disturbance and usually connotes anger but sometimes perplexity or anxiety.

vexed by her son's failure to clean his room

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bother

Verb

Skubal kept insisting criticism — whether from fans, media, whatever, didn’t bother him. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Hip still bothering Springs Springs lasted just four innings after issuing a season-high five walks, throwing 86 pitches — only 51% of them strikes — and gave up his 28th home run of the season, the most of any pitcher in the league. — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Noun

Rebuilding a compliant testing and governance regime for one market and a looser one for the rest is rarely worth the bother, so the strictest rule tends to become the working standard. — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 10 June 2026

Bathen says the gruesome details aren't a bother to some. — Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026