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
Tom Tapp, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025
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
Verb
That’s what bothers me about it.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025
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
-
Ask yourself what annoys you specifically about that behavior, Davis says.—
NPR,
NPR,
28 Oct. 2025
-
There are days when my running annoys my wife, my children, or my colleagues.—
Nicholas Thompson,
The Atlantic,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The group exhausts and irritates opposing pitchers.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
In the short term, Jaime also worries that some workers may have no choice but to leave their children in less-than-ideal settings to keep working – like with an adult in the community who's informally looking after many of the children who would otherwise be in Head Start.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Lyman also worries that money spent of fusion could siphon dollars from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Another possibility is that there is a relic magnetic field that exists between galaxies which remains from the early universe and disturbs low-energy gamma-rays.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
5 Nov. 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
Noun
-
Yellow fever, Zika and more There are over 200 types of mosquitoes in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but most are just nuisances.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
-
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
-
During his hearing on Wednesday, Mohammed reported stomach pain and headaches, his father said.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Among the opponents are some residents of Alton Road, who say that gating off North Bay Road would worsen the city’s already substantial traffic problems and create headaches for people trying to access their homes.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
From the season premiere, fans remarked on how different this cast felt, taking to social media platforms like Reddit and TikTok to express their frustrations.—
Christian Orozco,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
-
At first, Maia vents her frustrations with her attention-seeking friend.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But Antonio distracts him by accusing him in the town square of sending Justina off to El Alcazar and poisoning his son.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
12 Oct. 2025
-
And when our American players have to control the crowd, that distracts them from playing.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bothers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothers. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share