1
as in disturbs
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in annoys
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 worries
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 distracts
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
1
as in stirs
a state of noisy, confused activity
the whole household was in a bother, as our overnight guests were expected to arrive any minute
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nuisances
one who is obnoxiously annoying
the woman next-door is such a bother—always dropping in at the most inopportune moments!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in headaches
something that is a source of irritation
returning damaged goods is a real bother
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in frustrations
the feeling of impatience or anger caused by another's repeated disagreeable acts
never let his personal bothers interfere with his responsibilities at work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bothers
Time, 10 Sep. 2025
What bothers her most is how the refusal seemed to change her brother’s behavior.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
If that bothers you, understood.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 Sep. 2025
In New York, there’s no worry; no one bothers us.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
Why ban books, Postman asked, if no one bothers to read them?
—Time, 10 Sep. 2025
What bothers her most is how the refusal seemed to change her brother’s behavior.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
If that bothers you, understood.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 Sep. 2025
In New York, there’s no worry; no one bothers us.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothers
Verb
-
Currently comprising more than 8,300 active satellites, the Starlink constellation also disturbs radio telescope observations.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The water is perfectly clear — until someone brushes the side of the cave or disturbs the soft bottom, sending fine silt particles billowing into the beam of a headlamp.—
Jennifer Walker,
CNN Money,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Naturally, this annoys Alex to no end.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
17 Sep. 2025
-
This annoys his wife, who hankers after Bingley (sight unseen) as a future son-in-law.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Such variability worries Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, a national nonprofit organization focused on chronic absenteeism.—
Eli Cahan,
Rolling Stone,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Celia Monreal worries every day about the cartilage loss in her husband’s knees.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And when our American players have to control the crowd, that distracts them from playing.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
This might mean dropping a product line that’s profitable but distracts from your core business, or saying no to a good opportunity that isn’t aligned with your growth strategy.—
Minna Hu,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Decades ago, marshes were considered nuisances, soggy flats to be drained, dried, and made waterproof with liberal coatings of asphalt.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Time to let go of Wi-Fi headaches, and hold on to smooth streaming with the Google Wifi Mesh Router.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Ear seeding, an acupressure technique used in traditional Chinese medicine, is used to alleviate anxiety, headaches, and pain.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That doesn’t mean Ohtani’s frustrations aren’t bleeding through.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Tua Tagovailoa’s frustrations with the Miami Dolphins’ performances through six weeks of the 2025 NFL season appeared to boil over following a 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
During his appearance on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast alongside his The Roses costar Olivia Colman, the 49-year-old actor opened up about what irritates his family members.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
The news irritates Lord Lovat, knowing that if the MacKenzie brothers thought Ellen had run off with Malcom Grant, and Dougal (Sam Retford) was dumb enough to beat Malcom as a result, there has to be a moral lapse in judgment somewhere.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bothers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothers. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share