as in annoyed
subjected to and reacting with irritation
got all hot and bothered by his brother's constant unsolicited advice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in worried
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritated
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in feared
to experience concern or anxiety
just get the basic concept right and don't bother about the details
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in alarmed
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
the boss's cryptic message about changes to the company bothered me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bothered
Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
More than 60 million travelers pass through its airport each year, yet, historically, few bothered venturing into town unless on their way to a board meeting.
—Diana Hubbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
Mark Long, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
The order included a few very narrow exceptions, including national security and extreme public safety threats, but ICE has not bothered to even try to claim that this circumstance fit the bill.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bothered
Adjective
Winnipeg Jets, 25-26-10 Feb. 6: 28 Sean: 25 Dom: 25
The perfect deadline: Addition by subtraction
Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn are the exact sort of player archetypes that get traditional contending GMs overly hot and bothered.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
More than 60 million travelers pass through its airport each year, yet, historically, few bothered venturing into town unless on their way to a board meeting.
—Diana Hubbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
Both skids bothered him, no doubt, the first more than the second.
—Mark Long, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
The order included a few very narrow exceptions, including national security and extreme public safety threats, but ICE has not bothered to even try to claim that this circumstance fit the bill.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bothered
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothered
Adjective
-
Fans were more than a little annoyed when large portions of season 5 of The Boys, ahead of its ultimate ending, appeared to be a large ad for the upcoming Vought Rising prequel spinoff series.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
One thing seemed clear, however, by the end of Wednesday's meeting, both Rodriguez and Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins appeared frustrated, almost annoyed, their attacks on the center failed to persuade their colleagues.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Labor interests, in particular, worried that a private Pinnacol would end up raising rates and leaving high-risk industries, such as construction, unable to afford workers’ comp insurance.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
But those lot rents have slowly increased across the state and have priced out some retirees, leaving Good Samaritan residents worried the change in ownership may push them out too.—
Natalia Jaramillo,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Some highbrow writers had a right to be irritated by the concept of chick lit, though that wasn’t the fault of chick lit authors themselves.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
4 May 2026
-
His last-minute, mixmaster approach to closing out the transit negotiations irritated several participants, but the end result was a fiscally responsible and transformative restructuring of mass transit in northern Illinois.—
David Greising,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The arrangement alarmed two top corporate governance experts who Fortune spoke with.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
25 May 2026
-
The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will be Queen , Andersen writes that the heir to the throne’s temper is bad enough that even his father has been alarmed at times.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Texas State’s Chase Mora greeted USC closer Adam Troy with a monstrous two-run home run to left field in the top of ninth, propelling the Bobcats to 5-4 upset before a crowd of 6,956.—
Jose de Jesus Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Rhodes had plenty to be upset about.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Shaina was fascinated by Greek mythology but disturbed by the concept of other Gods.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
-
When asbestos is disturbed, tiny particles are released into the air.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
When Riley returned to the table, La La told me that his high profile in the city sometimes bugged her, because fans were always interrupting them, even sitting down at their table.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Upon arriving at big-league camp this spring, Rojas said the different grip initially bugged him.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Across 2025-26, there are few outstanding contenders — a reflection upon, at least as far as the Premier League is concerned, a Newcastle campaign riddled with inconsistency and underperformance (for the most part).—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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Persistent high interest rates also present a challenge since electrification benefits play out over time and high interest rates can spook companies concerned about short-term returns (or even survival).—
Justin Worland,
Time,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothered. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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