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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
Water deeply in the morning and don’t bother deadheading—hydrangeas don’t need it. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 24 May 2025 And for nights when you can't be bothered to dirty a million dishes just to get dinner on the table, there's an air fryer from Ninja. Sarah Felbin, SELF, 23 May 2025
Noun
Here’s the scoop on the tastiest kid-friendly crackers that all but guarantee happy snackers, and the crackers that aren’t worth the bother. Jolene Thym, The Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2025 Which team’s pass rush bothers or contains the other QB more effectively might tip this result. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bother
Verb
  • Given the historical biases in hiring practices, many job seekers worry that AI might perpetuate or even amplify these biases.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
  • In 1956, a survey of over 2,000 professors showed that 61% had been contacted by the FBI; 40% worried that students might misrepresent their politics; and about a quarter would not express their views for fear of the government.
    Time, Time, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • Orlando Sentinel Residents also allege the neighbor erected phallic objects on a fence at his home to annoy them.
    Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2025
  • Cahill also spoke about how the political nature of the case annoyed him, as politicians spoke out about Floyd's death, and some called for system-wide change.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • However, some 3,000 years ago—around the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age—newcomers to the area disturbed the burial site by removing parts of the mound and displacing stones.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 May 2025
  • Solar flares can disturb Earth's ionosphere, for instance, briefly disrupting high-frequency radio signals and leading to brief radio blackouts on the daylit side of the planet during the flare event.
    Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • Rafael Nadal was a tennis warrior, to be sure: a competitive beast dripping with sweat and relentless in-the-moment ambition who could give the opposition a faraway gaze in a hurry.
    Christopher Clarey, Air Mail, 24 May 2025
  • Pod coffee was an easier way to make a single cup in a hurry.
    Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • And these types of messages go beyond being a mere nuisance.
    Alana Wise, NPR, 24 May 2025
  • In 2011, the Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit brought by a group of states (including California) against a number of power companies, claiming that greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel generated electricity were a public nuisance under federal law.
    Josiah Neeley, Oc Register, 21 May 2025
Noun
  • Once doctors reviewed the family’s travel history, treatment was quickly shifted to address concerns of histoplasmosis, which the CDC explains can cause cause flu-like symptoms including fever and chills, malaise, cough, headache, chest pain and body aches.
    Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 23 May 2025
  • Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Noun
  • Tyler expresses frustration in hearing that from him and not from Brandon and Theresa themselves.
    Angela Andaloro, People.com, 23 May 2025
  • Trump has expressed growing frustration with the rulings.
    Zac Anderson, USA Today, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • Alex Caruso, the Thunder’s Chihuahua yapping up the Nuggets’ trees, pestered Aaron Gordon in search of a desperation turnover.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 16 May 2025
  • Also fitting that description is Schröder, whose hounding defense continues to pester opposing point guards.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bother. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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