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 fearing
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
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Recent Examples of bothering
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2026
If the plaintiff can get the information from, say, an SEC filing, then the plaintiff must go that route instead of bothering the speaker.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Try taking just 10 or 15 minutes at the same time each day to write out what's bothering you.
—Andee Tagle, NPR, 15 Jan. 2026
My stomach has been bothering me all day.
—Dave Skretta, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2026
Ibrahim keeps bothering me endlessly, touching my leg and thigh.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 4 Jan. 2026
Ask her if anything is bothering her.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
What that translates to is that the generator and the propulsors can do their thing without bothering one another in flight.
—New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2025
Any offensive struggles certainly weren’t bothering Miller on the other side of the court — the true mark of a two-way player.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 13 Dec. 2025
Verb
Is a man bothering you at a bar?
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2026
If the plaintiff can get the information from, say, an SEC filing, then the plaintiff must go that route instead of bothering the speaker.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Try taking just 10 or 15 minutes at the same time each day to write out what's bothering you.
—Andee Tagle, NPR, 15 Jan. 2026
My stomach has been bothering me all day.
—Dave Skretta, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2026
Ibrahim keeps bothering me endlessly, touching my leg and thigh.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 4 Jan. 2026
Ask her if anything is bothering her.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
What that translates to is that the generator and the propulsors can do their thing without bothering one another in flight.
—New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2025
Any offensive struggles certainly weren’t bothering Miller on the other side of the court — the true mark of a two-way player.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 13 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothering
Noun
-
Many of his victims said that their relationships with family members, employers and partners were irreparably harmed as a result of Hardy's hacking and harassment, which often included sending nude photos of his victims to people in their personal networks.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
-
In September 2021, the Spirit fired head coach Richie Burke following allegations of emotional and verbal harassment.—
Emily Olsen,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There’s an absent father and a clueless, neglectful mother but the five Gilbert children — Lydia, Hugo, Annabel, Jeremy and Rosalind — are essentially raising themselves in an English country house of secret passages and worrying infestations.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Instead of worrying about learning everything about sheep, swine, alpacas, bison, or goats, focus on cattle, the true stars of the stock show.—
Sara Hansen,
Denver Post,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That thing’s been bugging on him for a while.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
29 Dec. 2025
-
Then Julian dropped one of his wireless earbuds into Olympia’s purse, using it as a crude bugging device.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Josh asks for silence, then later explains — in an exasperated tone — that the ruckus was distracting him.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Griffin has a bright future, but dreams of college or the WNBA are not distracting her from the here and now.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Drinking has been found to increase the risk of many cancers, metabolic dysfunction, gut microbiome disturbances and mitochondrial toxins, Hyman said.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
However, these components proved too vulnerable to the extreme conditions, including intense shock waves and aerodynamic disturbances at low altitudes.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes, rage bait can be relatively harmless – a recipe that contains disgusting food combinations or someone annoying their pet, partner or sibling.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
1 Dec. 2025
-
But what’s been annoying me even more is that these women should have been trained by producers to start recording on their own cell phones if drama starts to unfold after cameras go down.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Passive aggression can be irritating.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Is the air in your home feeling stuffy, dusty, or irritating?—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
At a minimum, the investigation should be conducted swiftly, and Maryland residents should be informed of accountability steps taken to address these concerning allegations.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Jan. 2026
-
His daughter then explained Tate's content to him, leading Graham to find the influencer's reach particularly concerning, given that Tate is also under multiple investigations for human trafficking and rape.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothering. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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