bugging 1 of 2

noun

as in harassment
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another this perpetual bugging while I'm working is driving me nuts!

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bugging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bug
1
as in bothering
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worrying
to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation I hate to bug you, but could you help me move this table?

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 bugging
Verb
The Department of Justice’s prosecution of a Saudi national for allegedly bugging an OpenAI conference room is causing anxiety among OpenAI employees, many of whom are foreign nationals. — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 On Monday, a court granted the US government’s request to deny release of a former OpenAI engineer accused of bugging a top-secret conference room to steal the frontier lab’s secrets. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026 However, in-flight cabin etiquette is only one part of what’s bugging travelers this summer. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026 The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026 His doctor had been bugging him for years to get a colonoscopy because of his age, but Driggers declined. — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026 Get clear about what’s bugging you. — Usa Today, USA Today, 26 May 2026 Woke up this morning, still kind of bugging me. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 26 May 2026 Although pest control companies offer lethal solutions such as carpenter bee traps or chemical treatments, the best way to keep carpenter bees from bugging you is using stained, sealed, varnished or treated wood in building projects. — Sarah Linn april 24, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugging
  1. harassment
  2. bothering
  3. worrying
  4. disturbance
  5. annoying
  6. irritating
  7. persecuting
Noun
  • The district also said that Beyer has made additional counseling and support services available to student-athletes and that students and staff undergo annual training intended to prevent harassment.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • We are also told that training body ScreenSkills has updated the anti-bullying and harassment module on its training passport in line with the legislation.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of harassment
Verb
  • Bri reached basically the same conclusion without bothering with the cardio experiment.
    — Kevin Fanady, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • His work is autobiographical and based on whatever has been bothering him that year.
    — Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • Ever since, plastics have become another red alert to add to our list of threats that are largely out of our control yet impossible to stop worrying about.
    — Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Along with gas prices, healthcare is the biggest household expense worrying voters, polls show.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of worrying
Noun
  • Ars has previously looked at how this X-plane program is intended to support the design of future supersonic airliners that may fly overland while minimizing disturbances for buildings and people below.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Atmospheric disturbances recorded during the launch suggested the rocket may have punched a hole in Earth’s ionosphere, according to a study by researchers at Taiwan’s National Cheng Kung University.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of disturbance
Verb
  • That unexpected fandom has grown over the past two years, with unlikely converts taking to the internet’s alleyways to spread the good word—and, in the process, annoying the doubters.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Kids in all three countries loved learning dances from TikTok and annoying their siblings.
    — Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • That mismatch can lead to issues ranging from irritating residue to expensive repairs.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Nov. 2026
  • These extra steps are irritating, as non-Amazon ereaders tend to be much more forgiving when loading your own media.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • Biden weaponized Law Enforcement against his political opponent, while also persecuting many other innocent people.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • Jack Hayford, the founder of the King’s University, in Texas, claimed that the film was persecuting Christians, who only wanted to be treated equally.
    — Isaac Butler, New Yorker, 30 May 2026
Definition of persecuting

Browse Nearby Words

buggies
bugging
bugging off
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Cite this Entry

“Bugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugging. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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