as in harassment
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another
one more bothering, and I'm going to kick you out of here
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in worrying
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 bugging
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 fearing
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 distracting
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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Recent Examples of bothering
Pien Huang, NPR, 2 May 2026
Yusei Kikuchi said throwing fastballs was bothering him again, so the Los Angeles Angels pitcher left Wednesday's 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox after two innings with left shoulder tightness.
—CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
Please order Keegan to make a pre-bathroom coffee for both of us for one week and then stop bothering me about it.
—John Hodgman, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2026
Sit there like nothing is bothering you.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
But that doesn’t excuse failing to execute on the ABCs of lobbying — such as not bothering even to show up at a hearing on a policy the mayor considers an urgent priority.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Both players scored in double figures on Sunday, but Santos was ruled out against the Kings because of a pelvis injury that has been bothering him for weeks.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Why are two players whose college careers, at the moment, are over bothering to put their names out there for other programs to see?
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 31 Mar. 2026
Like, cool, got the game, but now the TV feels small, and suddenly the thermostat situation is bothering you, too.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
Try taking 10 to 15 minutes each day to write out what's bothering you.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 2 May 2026
Yusei Kikuchi said throwing fastballs was bothering him again, so the Los Angeles Angels pitcher left Wednesday's 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox after two innings with left shoulder tightness.
—CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
Please order Keegan to make a pre-bathroom coffee for both of us for one week and then stop bothering me about it.
—John Hodgman, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2026
Sit there like nothing is bothering you.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
But that doesn’t excuse failing to execute on the ABCs of lobbying — such as not bothering even to show up at a hearing on a policy the mayor considers an urgent priority.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Both players scored in double figures on Sunday, but Santos was ruled out against the Kings because of a pelvis injury that has been bothering him for weeks.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Why are two players whose college careers, at the moment, are over bothering to put their names out there for other programs to see?
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 31 Mar. 2026
Like, cool, got the game, but now the TV feels small, and suddenly the thermostat situation is bothering you, too.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothering
Noun
-
An ally in public As the MeToo movement focused attention on women facing harassment in the workplace, Swalwell publicly positioned himself as a champion of women.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
-
Facing these smear-site claims, Baldoni in particular was still loathed to cop to any of the harassment or digital punking, sources tell me.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The organic cotton towel is both GOTS organic and Oeko-Tex-certified to keep me from worrying about harsh chemicals rubbing off on my body.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Today on the show, Kevin Dancy, vice president and regional executive at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, lays out a worrying consumer trend that’s affecting how retailers do business.—
Adrian Ma,
NPR,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
So, all the things people were yelling about with Southwest weren’t bugging me.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The curators supply a historical backdrop, therefore, but discreetly, and without distracting us from Wright’s poetic originality.—
Julian Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Living Room also extends outdoors to the rooftop Terrazzo Bar with views that are almost too distracting.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But, in historic gold-rush regions, prospectors use it to identify disturbances in the landscape that are suggestive of former mining operations, in the hope of finding overlooked stores.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Talks to purchase the animals began months before the April disturbance, and Simmons said her group wasn’t connected to the protests.—
David Fischer,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes, rage bait can be relatively harmless – a recipe that contains disgusting food combinations or someone annoying their pet, partner or sibling.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
1 Dec. 2025
-
But what’s been annoying me even more is that these women should have been trained by producers to start recording on their own cell phones if drama starts to unfold after cameras go down.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Strong gusts of wind disperse the pollen and mold, irritating lungs.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Joining Stuart’s quest are his girlfriend, Denise (Lapkus); geologist buddy Bert (Posehn); and irritating quantum physicist Barry Kripke (Bowie).—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
So that alone is very concerning to us.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
-
The hospital association still objects to the part of the bill that would require the private guardian to meet with the hospital patient prior to accepting the appointment, citing concerns that such a requirement may slow the process as well as timing issues concerning medical consent.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothering. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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