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
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
That appears to be bothering people, as the broadcast noted some pointed conversations among the Spanish team during the hydration break.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 June 2026
But at the same time, the people that are bothering me are showing us love.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
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
Try taking 10 to 15 minutes each day to write out what's bothering you.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 2 May 2026
Verb
Instead, the reviews were largely muted, with analysts not bothering to adjust their revenue estimates for 2027 or 2028, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
That appears to be bothering people, as the broadcast noted some pointed conversations among the Spanish team during the hydration break.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 June 2026
But at the same time, the people that are bothering me are showing us love.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
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
Try taking 10 to 15 minutes each day to write out what's bothering you.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothering
Noun
-
Two children at a Redlands elementary school faced racial harassment, discrimination and teasing for months, resulting in them being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, their mother alleged in a lawsuit filed against the school district.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
-
The Big 12 cites cases where government threats of retaliation, including prosecution and legal harassment, constitute an infringement of the freedom of association.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
In Disclosure Day, Jane’s worrying is curious, coming from someone who meant to become a nun.—
Luis Parrales,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
-
Looking to be quite aggressive in a football sense and always looking for the solution and what can happen instead of worrying about what the problem is.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
12 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
In addition, intense, exciting soccer matches can be distracting and lead to overlooking subtle signs of dehydration.—
Lisa Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
Finally, toolbars are becoming more consistent, and the distracting icons in drop-down menus are quietly disappearing.—
Edward Mendelson,
PC Magazine,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Those supporters were left unchallenged by stewards, despite FIFA winning a court hearing enabling them to lawfully prohibit people showing the lion-and-sun flags on the grounds of them carrying a political message and potentially causing disturbances.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
The coordinated attack left one local police officer, who was responding to a disturbance call at the detention center, shot in the neck.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
15 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
-
This behavior isn’t just irritating or upsetting.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
-
How to avoid chiggers Aside from the potential risk of anaphylactic allergy and severe illness, chiggers are, well, irritating.—
Eva Flowe
June 11,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the Allegheny County police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS.—
Ricky Sayer,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
-
The article suggests conservatives should press Warsh on his precise definition of inflation, particularly concerning the dollar's exchange value.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothering. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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