as in harassment
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another
one more bothering, and I'm going to kick you out of here
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in worrying
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 bugging
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 fretting
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 distracting
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bothering
Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
The injury that will sideline Herro to begin this season is one that had been bothering him for a few months.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
Even scrambling around, his knee was bothering him.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
There's other important bathroom etiquette travelers should keep in mind to avoid bothering flight attendants.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2025
Lead with Gratitude and Grace Calling out someone for bothering you is always tricky.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
Because Paris is a magical place, Belly’s pickpocket takes her backpack directly to a rave without even bothering to open it.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
So, at least for now, Chamorro is not bothering with the official Pop Mart drops.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
While there is still hope that Clark can return this season from the groin injury that has been bothering her, there is no guarantee of that becoming a reality.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Verb
The dog recognizes that something is amiss, but isn’t capable of understanding what’s really bothering Todd.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
The injury that will sideline Herro to begin this season is one that had been bothering him for a few months.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
Even scrambling around, his knee was bothering him.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
There's other important bathroom etiquette travelers should keep in mind to avoid bothering flight attendants.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2025
Lead with Gratitude and Grace Calling out someone for bothering you is always tricky.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
Because Paris is a magical place, Belly’s pickpocket takes her backpack directly to a rave without even bothering to open it.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
So, at least for now, Chamorro is not bothering with the official Pop Mart drops.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
While there is still hope that Clark can return this season from the groin injury that has been bothering her, there is no guarantee of that becoming a reality.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothering
Noun
-
Those exceptions include true threats, defamation, harassment and obscenities.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The fashion show was canceled in 2019, the same year organizer Edward Razek resigned after facing criticism for misogyny and harassment.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Grieving Vince, worrying about Bode, and taking care of her Cal Fire family is a lot to balance.—
Alamin Yohannes,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Stop worrying about the bubble in AI—its growth is sustainable, three Wall Street analysts from Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Wedbush argued this morning in notes seen by Fortune.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Co-worker bugging you during heads down time?—
Sam Woodward,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In Season 4, Eddie played a key role in distracting Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) Demobats as the rest of the gang launched an attack on the Upside Down stronghold of Creel House.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Because many designs in the 1970s focused on open-concept designs, noise in the previous building could be distracting for classes, and teachers had made makeshift walls using bookshelves in an attempt to keep noise out, Bookhout said.—
Imani Cruzen,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Cornell would arrive at the scene of these disturbances in a suit and tie, carrying a bag containing notepads, tape recorders, cameras and, on occasion, other, homemade instruments.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The works, which were still under video surveillance, sat unopened all weekend, with no unusual disturbances recorded.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Martin revealed the repeat offender's disturbing search history.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The property served as both recording hub and the center of disturbing allegations that have long shadowed Kelly’s career.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The dog keeps pulling the tablecloth off the table, there’s piss on the ground, and her husband Jackson, played by Robert Pattinson, is just there — annoying enough on its own.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
-
A lot of noise around the Chiefs The Chiefs have become a mainstay in NFL discourse by winning three Super Bowls in the Mahomes era, and annoying an endless list of fan bases with their ability to overcome the odds and rally for a late win at an unprecedented rate.—
Scott Chasen,
Kansas City Star,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
However, the Cowboys revealed concerning injury news at the wide receiver position on Saturday.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
-
As with the recent ceasefire in Gaza, those meetings have the potential to turn down the temperature, at least somewhat, in some of the most concerning parts of the globe.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothering. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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