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
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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
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4
as in disturbs
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
the boss's cryptic message about changes to the company bothered me
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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
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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!
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3
as in headaches
something that is a source of irritation
returning damaged goods is a real bother
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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
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Recent Examples of bothers
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
The government no longer even bothers to disguise itself as a democracy.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 18 June 2026
People can decide for themselves whether Wembanyama’s anthem conduct bothers them.
—Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026
But one Iowa departure bothers Ferentz the most, and that’s defensive tackle Noah Shannon.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 8 June 2026
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
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
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Verb
Oh, and more often than not, nobody bothers to check whether the change intervention actually worked, or whether leaders improve their performance after all!
—Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
The government no longer even bothers to disguise itself as a democracy.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 18 June 2026
People can decide for themselves whether Wembanyama’s anthem conduct bothers them.
—Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026
But one Iowa departure bothers Ferentz the most, and that’s defensive tackle Noah Shannon.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 8 June 2026
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
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
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,
17 June 2026
-
One of the more common ways bear encounters escalate is when an off-leash dog runs toward a bear, annoys it, and then comes sprinting back to its owner with an angry predator in pursuit.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
If someone is in your life long enough, they’re bound to do something that irritates you—and you’re bound to do something that irritates them.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Eftekhari worries that the mood at Iran’s first match, where fans and protesters clashed, affected the players.—
Gabriela Aoun Angueira,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
Iran’s president worries about street protests Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed concern that some Iranians could openly protest again.—
Victoria Eastwood,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
The pier in Michigan City’s Washington Park disturbs the natural flow of sand along the lakeshore, creating new land east of the pier but starving beaches to the west, an erosion problem repeated by other manmade structures that jut out into Lake Michigan.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
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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
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
-
Besides being nuisances, many types carry diseases including West Nile virus, encephalitis, and canine heartworm.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
-
If the nuisances continue at Albany Care, the city is seeking a court order to shut the facility down, separate from the state action.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
Noun
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Common symptoms include headaches, fever, diarrhea, muscle weakness, tingling or numbness, neck stiffness or flu-like symptoms.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
This first patient had fever, headaches, muscle pain, malaise, loss of appetite, diarrhea and abdominal pain, among other symptoms.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
Noun
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Putting those questions up front helps avoid the tenant frustrations that have dogged parts of the industry as operators expand, contract or change hands.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
17 June 2026
-
Local media reported the clashes involving small groups of migrants erupted because of frustrations at the delays in them returning home.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bothers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothers. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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