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bother

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noun

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb bother differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bother are annoy, irk, and vex. While all these words mean "to upset a person's composure," bother suggests interference with comfort or peace of mind.

don't bother me while I'm reading

In what contexts can annoy take the place of bother?

The words annoy and bother are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, annoy implies a wearing on the nerves by persistent petty unpleasantness.

their constant complaining annoys us

When can irk be used instead of bother?

Although the words irk and bother have much in common, irk stresses difficulty in enduring and the resulting weariness or impatience of spirit.

careless waste irks the boss

When is it sensible to use vex instead of bother?

The synonyms vex and bother are sometimes interchangeable, but vex implies greater provocation and stronger disturbance and usually connotes anger but sometimes perplexity or anxiety.

vexed by her son's failure to clean his room

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 bother
Verb
These are people who, for whatever reason, aren’t bothered by this behavior and can act as a buffer or intermediary between the toxic person and the rest of the workforce. Susan Caminiti, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025 Don’t bother wasting your time hating on this; that’s college athletics now. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
But, in Los Alamitos, the troop presence hasn’t been a bother for the surrounding community, Hasselbrink said. Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 8 July 2025 Indeed, the dog didn't seem to have any problems moving with the crate around him, even managing to change direction without bother. Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for bother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bother
Verb
  • Grieving Vince, worrying about Bode, and taking care of her Cal Fire family is a lot to balance.
    Alamin Yohannes, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Amawi worried about the risk of refeeding syndrome.
    Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Ball doesn’t seem annoyed by the memes yet, but the NBA season hasn’t officially started, so there’s still time.
    Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
  • He was annoyed when people advocated that.
    Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Staffieri was appropriately shocked and disturbed by both the antisemitic display and the breach of internal protocol.
    Marsha Sutton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
  • The plot was inspired by a Japanese news report that had deeply disturbed Woo, about a lunatic guilty of poisoning baby formula.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • To Cuomo, Mamdani is a young man in a hurry whose lack of experience should disqualify him from leading America's largest city.
    Christian Orozco, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Both teams can put up points in a hurry.
    Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Lorincz, who is white, hated loud noise, and called police and first responders multiple times over the years claiming the children were trespassing, bothersome, threatening, and a nuisance.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Establishing a track record of violations could potentially help the city in future civil suits brought against the Eco Motel, or any other property considered a nuisance.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Regardless of the scheduling headache, there's still no indication the funding bill would pass, unless Republicans and Democrats can strike a deal on health care.
    Zac Anderson, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
  • In the year before his death, Thomas had been struggling with his mental health, as well as daily headaches and memory loss, his parents said at the time.
    Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The frustration that had been simmering throughout a dreadful collective display reached combustion levels.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
  • In fact, the American captain has no hope of putting his frustration behind him anytime soon.
    Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Alex Caruso was the ace in the hole, pestering and prodding Jokic to death in Game 7.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Schroder, who has a reputation for pestering opposing point guards, is the head of that spear.
    Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bother. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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