as in annoyed
subjected to and reacting with irritation
got all hot and bothered by his brother's constant unsolicited advice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in worried
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritated
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 feared
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 alarmed
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
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of bothered
Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
More than 60 million travelers pass through its airport each year, yet, historically, few bothered venturing into town unless on their way to a board meeting.
—Diana Hubbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
Ali Faccenda, InStyle, 25 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for bothered
Adjective
Winnipeg Jets, 25-26-10 Feb. 6: 28 Sean: 25 Dom: 25
The perfect deadline: Addition by subtraction
Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn are the exact sort of player archetypes that get traditional contending GMs overly hot and bothered.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
More than 60 million travelers pass through its airport each year, yet, historically, few bothered venturing into town unless on their way to a board meeting.
—Diana Hubbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
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
See All Example Sentences for bothered
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothered
Adjective
-
Fans were more than a little annoyed when large portions of season 5 of The Boys, ahead of its ultimate ending, appeared to be a large ad for the upcoming Vought Rising prequel spinoff series.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
One thing seemed clear, however, by the end of Wednesday's meeting, both Rodriguez and Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins appeared frustrated, almost annoyed, their attacks on the center failed to persuade their colleagues.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Labor interests, in particular, worried that a private Pinnacol would end up raising rates and leaving high-risk industries, such as construction, unable to afford workers’ comp insurance.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
But those lot rents have slowly increased across the state and have priced out some retirees, leaving Good Samaritan residents worried the change in ownership may push them out too.—
Natalia Jaramillo,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
It is expected that Mourinho will try to tighten control over leaks concerning internal dressing-room matters, something that has irritated the club this season — and which Alonso sought to tackle.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
Even though the calf irritated him over the weekend, the ankle is still the primary problem.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
The unprecedentedly large numbers of killings alarmed Western governments.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
-
Your mother, suddenly, is alarmed by your exhaustion.—
Taiye Selasi,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Texas State’s Chase Mora greeted USC closer Adam Troy with a monstrous two-run home run to left field in the top of ninth, propelling the Bobcats to 5-4 upset before a crowd of 6,956.—
Jose de Jesus Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Rhodes had plenty to be upset about.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Shaina was fascinated by Greek mythology but disturbed by the concept of other Gods.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
-
When asbestos is disturbed, tiny particles are released into the air.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
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
Verb
-
Across 2025-26, there are few outstanding contenders — a reflection upon, at least as far as the Premier League is concerned, a Newcastle campaign riddled with inconsistency and underperformance (for the most part).—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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Persistent high interest rates also present a challenge since electrification benefits play out over time and high interest rates can spook companies concerned about short-term returns (or even survival).—
Justin Worland,
Time,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothered. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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