1
as in annoys
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 irritates
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 disturbs
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
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
Shields added at the time that she's learned to speak up when something bothers her rather than assuming her spouse can read her mind.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026
The programmer's rhythm is broken repeatedly, and the cumulative delay between intent and result is longer than anyone bothers to measure.
—Russ Bukowski, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Of course, no one bothers with that, even with the content that’s blatantly generated.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 26 May 2026
What bothers him most, however, is the suggestion that neo-soul lacked authenticity or cultural purpose.
—Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 22 May 2026
And if someone bothers Anaia, Racine is there to fight for her.
—Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
An unconventional structure or new approach bothers them not a whit.
—Mac Barnett, Longreads, 5 May 2026
This is hurtful and bothers me a lot.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2026
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Verb
What bothers me still is the Maloofs or (current ownership) never honored Rick with a special night.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
Shields added at the time that she's learned to speak up when something bothers her rather than assuming her spouse can read her mind.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026
The programmer's rhythm is broken repeatedly, and the cumulative delay between intent and result is longer than anyone bothers to measure.
—Russ Bukowski, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Of course, no one bothers with that, even with the content that’s blatantly generated.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 26 May 2026
What bothers him most, however, is the suggestion that neo-soul lacked authenticity or cultural purpose.
—Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 22 May 2026
And if someone bothers Anaia, Racine is there to fight for her.
—Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
An unconventional structure or new approach bothers them not a whit.
—Mac Barnett, Longreads, 5 May 2026
This is hurtful and bothers me a lot.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2026
Noun
Fonseca is the youngest of three bothers.
—Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothers
Verb
-
What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
Seeing this much effort put into ripping off people annoys him.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Elsa’s inquisitive presence almost instantly irritates Amalia, as the latter refuses to simply acquiesce to her relentless quizzing.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
-
The impish half-smile that irritates opponents eventually returns to his face, though.—
Chris Smith,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
His comments come as concerns mount over the possibility of AI replacing jobs and worries that the tech is moving too quickly.—
Annie Palmer,Samantha Subin,Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
-
Wall Street worries the Fed is wildly off course in fighting inflation.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Regardless, there’s a clear symbolism to Clark empathizing and embracing a bloated externalization of his own inchoate fury until someone with an outside perspective disturbs his peace, and that fury breaks loose and devours him.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
That brings us to the part of the ShotSpotter discussion that perhaps disturbs us most.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Refrigerated pie crust helps this pie come together with just a few stirs of the whisk.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For buyers whose lives are otherwise optimized to the point of abstraction, taking on those tangible nuisances can feel almost noble.—
Spencer Elliott,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2026
-
Japanese beetles and slugs are pesky nuisances that will go after the basil in your garden.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Folks who live close to data centers have reported headaches, vertigo, nausea, sleep disturbances, ear pain and hypertension, the institute website says.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
People in the trial reported similar side effects to those from mRNA Covid vaccines — flu-like symptoms including chills and headaches — that only lasted a couple of days.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Lahn seized on those frustrations.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
3 June 2026
-
Body language aside, Brown also didn’t share his frustrations publicly, declining to speak with reporters.—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bothers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothers. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
