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
Alejandro Avila, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2026
If certain smells or experiences are bothering you, here are some other tips for managing postpartum odor and sweat.
—Dory Zayas, Parents, 28 May 2026
The tears then started to flow, as Zheng took deep breaths and explained that the foot issue was to reapply tape to a foot blister that had been bothering her.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 25 May 2026
At the same time, the regime has stopped bothering to sell a narrative of national restoration or modernization to the rest of the country, which is losing enormous amounts of blood and treasure in the battlefields of Ukraine.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 16 May 2026
Now the dog is back to bothering her brother and showing off her sassy personality.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
Tell him that his approach to the trip is bothering you.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
Try taking 10 to 15 minutes each day to write out what's bothering you.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 2 May 2026
Yusei Kikuchi said throwing fastballs was bothering him again, so the Los Angeles Angels pitcher left Wednesday's 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox after two innings with left shoulder tightness.
—CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
Brunson turned on the boosters in the second half, attacking the Spurs' defense and showing little sign that his knee was bothering him.
—Alejandro Avila, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2026
If certain smells or experiences are bothering you, here are some other tips for managing postpartum odor and sweat.
—Dory Zayas, Parents, 28 May 2026
The tears then started to flow, as Zheng took deep breaths and explained that the foot issue was to reapply tape to a foot blister that had been bothering her.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 25 May 2026
At the same time, the regime has stopped bothering to sell a narrative of national restoration or modernization to the rest of the country, which is losing enormous amounts of blood and treasure in the battlefields of Ukraine.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 16 May 2026
Now the dog is back to bothering her brother and showing off her sassy personality.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
Tell him that his approach to the trip is bothering you.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
Try taking 10 to 15 minutes each day to write out what's bothering you.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 2 May 2026
Yusei Kikuchi said throwing fastballs was bothering him again, so the Los Angeles Angels pitcher left Wednesday's 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox after two innings with left shoulder tightness.
—CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothering
Noun
-
Carpenter filed a request for a civil harassment restraining order against Applegate in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
2 June 2026
-
According to the lawsuit, the union’s anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation policy prohibits retaliation against employees for lodging a discrimination or harassment complaint or assisting in the investigation of such a complaint.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Before worrying about advanced technology, look at your foundation.—
Boris Dzhingarov,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Lindsay is very real for worrying about her pit stains.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
His doctor had been bugging him for years to get a colonoscopy because of his age, but Driggers declined.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
-
Get clear about what’s bugging you.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
People who attend the trial will also be prohibited from reacting, gesturing, wearing distracting clothing or otherwise disrupting the proceedings.—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
-
If anything, Horvath writes, ed tech broke American schools by pitching distracting multimedia to boost learning.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Shine was found by patrol officers who responded to a disturbance at a home on Papaya Farms Road in Pāhoa on Monday, according to police.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
-
Officers determined that the dog belonged to the man and woman involved in the original disturbance and arrested the woman on charges of felony domestic violence and felony assault with a deadly weapon.—
Velvet Wu
June 1,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Weird; annoying even – but the floaters did not seem urgent.—
Peter Ubel,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
My biggest concern about adding a tracking device around Mya’s neck was annoying her or creating disruption.—
Tyler Hayes,
PC Magazine,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Key Points Cayenne pepper can deter squirrels by irritating their senses without causing harm.—
Melissa Epifano,
The Spruce,
28 May 2026
-
When midges bite, a small welt can emerge that can be itchy and irritating.—
Alexiah Syrai Olsen,
Sacbee.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
While giving users information on how to conduct harmful activities could be concerning, the more worrying part is how the chatbots can egg users on, said Samuel Hunter, senior scientist and director of academic research at NCITE.—
Huo Jingnan,
NPR,
31 May 2026
-
The play wasn’t particularly close and continued a concerning trend where a number of Red Sox runners have been thrown out at home recently.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothering. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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