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
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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
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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
-
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
-
This annoys his wife, who hankers after Bingley (sight unseen) as a future son-in-law.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The growing number of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) also worries space sustainability experts, who warn about the increasing risk of orbital collisions.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
But the immigration worries – with threats of arrest, detention, and deportation for workers – are just one way Trump’s policies are holding back construction.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But Democratic leaders said the plan distracts from more urgent legislative priorities and is unlikely to move forward.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
In the New York Times, Schmidt—yes that same guy who was talking up AGI in April—urged Silicon Valley to stop fixating on superhuman AI, warning that the obsession distracts from building useful technology.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But according to Aaron Shmulewitz, a real-estate lawyer, the process for dealing with a repeat window flasher in your co-op isn’t all that different from other nuisances like someone across the hall blasting metal music at midnight.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
There have been several Republican senatorial candidates who have caused major headaches for the party.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
PaaS let developers skip infrastructure headaches.—
Vincentas Grinius,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Don't hide from the layers of emotions and frustrations.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
West Ham United fans are no strangers to voicing their frustrations at the club’s board.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2025.
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