1
as in annoyed
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
these incessant phone calls are really starting to bug me
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bothered
to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation
I hate to bug you, but could you help me move this table?
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of bugged
When Riley returned to the table, La La told me that his high profile in the city sometimes bugged her, because fans were always interrupting them, even sitting down at their table.
—
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Upon arriving at big-league camp this spring, Rojas said the different grip initially bugged him.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Three people told the Washington Examiner that Scott had become paranoid that Lewandowski was spying on him through his work phone and had bugged his office.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2026
Underwood went on The Bachelor as a straight man, made a connection with Randolph, broke up with her, bugged her car, and then was hit with a restraining order.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Instead, Ladinig says Pierre Haobsh bugged Henry Han's computer with a spyware app called a keylogger.
—Natalie Morales, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
The comings and goings of the many planes at the little field bugged the Marine Corps brass and rattled the hens at the chicken ranch that was once right about where Cold War-era bowlers would one day rattle the pins at Frontier Lanes.
—Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Carol Meeting Manousos Doesn’t Go As Planned The meeting between the two immediately sparks conflict, with Manousos unwilling to step into Carol’s home or use the translate feature on her phone, suspicious that everything has been bugged.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Upon arriving at big-league camp this spring, Rojas said the different grip initially bugged him.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Three people told the Washington Examiner that Scott had become paranoid that Lewandowski was spying on him through his work phone and had bugged his office.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2026
Underwood went on The Bachelor as a straight man, made a connection with Randolph, broke up with her, bugged her car, and then was hit with a restraining order.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Instead, Ladinig says Pierre Haobsh bugged Henry Han's computer with a spyware app called a keylogger.
—Natalie Morales, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
The comings and goings of the many planes at the little field bugged the Marine Corps brass and rattled the hens at the chicken ranch that was once right about where Cold War-era bowlers would one day rattle the pins at Frontier Lanes.
—Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Carol Meeting Manousos Doesn’t Go As Planned The meeting between the two immediately sparks conflict, with Manousos unwilling to step into Carol’s home or use the translate feature on her phone, suspicious that everything has been bugged.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugged
Verb
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Weston Richey, a 25-year-old Texan photographer with whom Kyra seemed to be perturbed, pulled her for a chat to try to figure out why she was annoyed with him.—
Anna Peele,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
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Frankly, at the end of it all, everyone had good reason to be annoyed.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Any easy toss-on-and-go dress is always a good idea, especially on hot days when you can’t be bothered to dream up a multi-layered outfit.—
Ali Faccenda,
InStyle,
25 May 2026
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Pletka said Trump is not bothered by gas prices, the upcoming midterms or his approval ratings, in part because of this being his last term.—
Filip Timotija,
The Hill,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Some highbrow writers had a right to be irritated by the concept of chick lit, though that wasn’t the fault of chick lit authors themselves.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
4 May 2026
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His last-minute, mixmaster approach to closing out the transit negotiations irritated several participants, but the end result was a fiscally responsible and transformative restructuring of mass transit in northern Illinois.—
David Greising,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson delivered a sharp defense of data centers at a packed community meeting yesterday, responding to questions from residents worried that massive new facilities dedicated to artificial intelligence could suck up the village’s water or increase their utility bills.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
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The government also worried that Mythos would use some of the limited computing power source the government also needs to operate AI tools, The Wall Street Journal reported previously.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
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During and shortly after the Spanish Civil War, Franco’s regime, too, persecuted Esperantists for the language’s association with anti–nationalism and anarchism.—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
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Blanche, who defended the fund at a congressional hearing this week, has said anyone who believes they’ve been persecuted can apply for compensation regardless of political affiliation.—
Eric Tucker,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugged. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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