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
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Both players scored in double figures on Sunday, but Santos was ruled out against the Kings because of a pelvis injury that has been bothering him for weeks.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Kylian Mbappe’s knee might be bothering him, but head coach Didier Deschamps picking him as captain in 2023 was more than a concession to the best player in his camp.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Why are two players whose college careers, at the moment, are over bothering to put their names out there for other programs to see?
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 31 Mar. 2026
Throughout the day, jot down any worries that are bothering you, particularly the ones that keep popping up.
—Andee Tagle, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
Like, cool, got the game, but now the TV feels small, and suddenly the thermostat situation is bothering you, too.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Eventually, the girl let on that her classmate had indeed been bothering her, poking her in the back and face with his fingers — but did not say the boy had threatened to kill her, according to the police report.
—Jeff Ernsthausen, ProPublica, 23 Mar. 2026
But a few days before Sonya disappeared, something was bothering her, her mother said.
—Claire Osborn, Austin American Statesman, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
But that doesn’t excuse failing to execute on the ABCs of lobbying — such as not bothering even to show up at a hearing on a policy the mayor considers an urgent priority.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Both players scored in double figures on Sunday, but Santos was ruled out against the Kings because of a pelvis injury that has been bothering him for weeks.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Kylian Mbappe’s knee might be bothering him, but head coach Didier Deschamps picking him as captain in 2023 was more than a concession to the best player in his camp.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Why are two players whose college careers, at the moment, are over bothering to put their names out there for other programs to see?
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 31 Mar. 2026
Throughout the day, jot down any worries that are bothering you, particularly the ones that keep popping up.
—Andee Tagle, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
Like, cool, got the game, but now the TV feels small, and suddenly the thermostat situation is bothering you, too.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Eventually, the girl let on that her classmate had indeed been bothering her, poking her in the back and face with his fingers — but did not say the boy had threatened to kill her, according to the police report.
—Jeff Ernsthausen, ProPublica, 23 Mar. 2026
But a few days before Sonya disappeared, something was bothering her, her mother said.
—Claire Osborn, Austin American Statesman, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothering
Noun
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During Lyonne’s active addiction, she also was arrested for a DUI in 2001, then charged in 2004 with mischief, trespassing and harassment of a neighbor.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Tisza’s database was at one point hacked and posted online, apparently to encourage harassment of party members.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Horner also talked about being concerned about losing his job, wanting to see his child and worrying about what was going to happen to him, Espinoza said.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
-
When health plans, providers, and policymakers work together, families can spend less time worrying about costs and more time focusing on their health.—
Anthem Blue Cross California,
Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
So, all the things people were yelling about with Southwest weren’t bugging me.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
-
But so much of my journalism has been about something that’s bugging me.—
Jack Denton,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Also, consider banning visual displays by an attendee of anything other than the participant’s location – visual message displays, inappropriate background material, distracting behavior or inappropriate attire should not be permitted.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
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Administrators found that without their phones, students were using school laptops for distracting activities like watching YouTube or playing games, rather than learning.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Two police officers were injured over the weekend while arresting a man in a domestic disturbance in the southwest Chicago suburb of Orland Park.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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On Wednesday, a Miami Herald inquiry showed that officers were called to the home six times from August 2023 to April 2026 for a disturbance, grand theft, animal bite and investigation codes, with the last call being when her body was found, according to Coral Springs police records.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
-
Oklahoma City is irritating, but never stops winning.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
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Those with extra-sensitive skin often find success with Vanicream, which is free of irritating ingredients such as dyes, fragrance, formaldehyde and lanolin.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
No details have been released concerning the arrest.—
Briauna Brown,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Perhaps more concerning is an issue with Orion’s service module, which is the cylindrical attachment at the base of the crew capsule that provides oxygen, power supplies and propulsion throughout the flight.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothering. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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