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
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
Please order Keegan to make a pre-bathroom coffee for both of us for one week and then stop bothering me about it.
—John Hodgman, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2026
Sit there like nothing is bothering you.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
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
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
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
Verb
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
Please order Keegan to make a pre-bathroom coffee for both of us for one week and then stop bothering me about it.
—John Hodgman, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2026
Sit there like nothing is bothering you.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothering
Noun
-
At the time, Congress overhauled parts of its opaque workplace complaint system, ended the use of taxpayer money for future harassment settlements, and created new support structures for staff members seeking legal help.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
11 May 2026
-
When Burke was brought to court on misdemeanor assault and harassment charges, prosecutors asked that he be held on $3,000 bail, but, once again, a judge gave him supervised release, according to court documents.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The economy is struggling, people are frustrated about internet disruptions and frequent Ukrainian attacks against targets deep inside the country are worrying some people.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
But that hasn’t stopped out-of-state reenactors from worrying their muskets will be confiscated at the George Washington Bridge, says Justin Costantino, adjutant of the Long Island Companies of the 3rd New York Regiment.—
Allen G. Breed,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Although pest control companies offer lethal solutions such as carpenter bee traps or chemical treatments, the best way to keep carpenter bees from bugging you is using stained, sealed, varnished or treated wood in building projects.—
Sarah Linn
April 24,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
So, all the things people were yelling about with Southwest weren’t bugging me.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
However, many within Starmer’s party say a leadership contest would be distracting for the party and disastrous for the country.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
-
Schapiro, a former university president, stepped down to avoid distracting from the ceremony.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Increasing heat and humidity could spark showers and storms Friday morning, but a better chance for more widespread storms arrives Friday night into Saturday as a stronger disturbance moves in, according to the weather service.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 May 2026
-
Avoid spring pruning to let blooms fully develop and prevent unnecessary disturbance to the tree.—
Gemma Johnstone,
The Spruce,
11 May 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
-
Unproductively, in the confines of the smaller-scale Fyda-Mar stage, the discordant sensory barrage director Oanh Nguyen brings to bear landed on at least one theatergoer as an agitated, irritating distraction.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
-
Scented and bleached toilet paper can have irritating chemicals, while wiping the wrong way can increase your risk of infection.—
Pamela Assid Woughter,
Verywell Health,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The most concerning scenario is a slow-moving catastrophe that never fully enters public consciousness due to largely absent data.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
His administration is expected to transform political dynamics within the European Union, where the former prime minister had upended the bloc by frequently vetoing key decisions, most recently concerning support for neighboring Ukraine.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothering. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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