bothered 1 of 2

adjective

ˈbä-t͟hərd How to pronounce bothered (audio)
Definition of botherednext
as in annoyed
subjected to and reacting with irritation got all hot and bothered by his brother's constant unsolicited advice

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bothered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of bother
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

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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

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3
as in feared
to experience concern or anxiety just get the basic concept right and don't bother about the details

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4
as in alarmed
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy the boss's cryptic message about changes to the company bothered me

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bothered
Adjective
Luckily, the kids don't seem too bothered. — Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 14 Apr. 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
The community nurse hadn’t even bothered to rewrite it, and the polite doctor simply stamped under her amendments. — Alicja Turczyk, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026 After learning how much the system captured, including snippets of private conversations, Blum asked whether the surveillance bothered him. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bothered
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothered
  1. annoyed
  2. worried
  3. irritated
  4. alarmed
  5. upset
  6. disturbed
  7. bugged
  8. concerned
Adjective
  • Lizzie’s newfound happiness is shattered at the end of the second episode, however, when Abby enters her stepdaughter’s dovecote and beheads every bird inside after growing increasingly annoyed with their cooing during mating season.
    — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Prominent royal commentators and people online were amused, annoyed or more by the couple’s belief that they should have been consulted before the letter went out.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of annoyed
Verb
  • At the same time, some critics worried that the Obama-era guidance had gone too far, tasking college bureaucrats with investigating criminal allegations and diluting due process.
    — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Across Latin America and the Caribbean, voters worried about rising crime have elected populists who promise to impose order and security in their countries.
    — DAN RESTREPO, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of worried
Verb
  • The episode confused and irritated the Red Sox, and following Saturday’s win starting pitcher Sonny Gray acknowledged that Alexander’s antics had provided the club with extra motivation.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The comments irritated Ilicali, who took to social media in response.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritated
Verb
  • Ayesha Bell Hardaway, a former prosecutor who is a professor of law at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, is alarmed by the dramatic variation across the country.
    — Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In voicemails played in court, they were alarmed by not hearing from Machado and her daughters, Julia and Daniela.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Adjective
  • Legend has it Michael Jackson asked his security to keep fans away from him at a local dive bar, only to become upset when the locals were all too good at treating him like a normal person.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Ultimately, after he was found out to be a con artist, according to his critics, Minnesota media appears to be more so upset that Jamal was not acting in the Somali community’s best interests.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of upset
Verb
  • People, wildlife and domestic animals get valley fever when the soil in these burrows is disturbed, by a dog digging, a kick of the boot, a shovel, construction equipment, wind or wildfire.
    — Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Clean Regularly Spiders don’t like to be disturbed, so an unused area of your porch is likely to be attractive real estate.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbed
Verb
  • The indictment revealed that prosecutors had bugged the Aisenbergs' home for three months after Sabrina's disappearance.
    — Curran Rastogi, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, a law-enforcement agency known as NABU, had bugged Mindich’s apartment in Kyiv, and detectives picked up his conversations about Fire Point.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
Definition of bugged
Verb
  • Treasury yields remain stubbornly high, but income investors don’t need to be concerned yet.
    — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • During a press conference last week, when asked about Alligator Alcatraz, DeSantis said that staff were concerned they’d be accused of mistreatment.
    — Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of concerned

Browse Nearby Words

botherations
bothered
bothering
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Cite this Entry

“Bothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothered. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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