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 fretting
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
Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
The injury that will sideline Herro to begin this season is one that had been bothering him for a few months.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
Even scrambling around, his knee was bothering him.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
There's other important bathroom etiquette travelers should keep in mind to avoid bothering flight attendants.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2025
Lead with Gratitude and Grace Calling out someone for bothering you is always tricky.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
Because Paris is a magical place, Belly’s pickpocket takes her backpack directly to a rave without even bothering to open it.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
So, at least for now, Chamorro is not bothering with the official Pop Mart drops.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
While there is still hope that Clark can return this season from the groin injury that has been bothering her, there is no guarantee of that becoming a reality.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Verb
The dog recognizes that something is amiss, but isn’t capable of understanding what’s really bothering Todd.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
The injury that will sideline Herro to begin this season is one that had been bothering him for a few months.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
Even scrambling around, his knee was bothering him.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
There's other important bathroom etiquette travelers should keep in mind to avoid bothering flight attendants.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2025
Lead with Gratitude and Grace Calling out someone for bothering you is always tricky.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
Because Paris is a magical place, Belly’s pickpocket takes her backpack directly to a rave without even bothering to open it.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
So, at least for now, Chamorro is not bothering with the official Pop Mart drops.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
While there is still hope that Clark can return this season from the groin injury that has been bothering her, there is no guarantee of that becoming a reality.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothering
Noun
-
Those exceptions include true threats, defamation, harassment and obscenities.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The fashion show was canceled in 2019, the same year organizer Edward Razek resigned after facing criticism for misogyny and harassment.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The economic and political struggles are worrying financial markets, ratings agencies and the European Commission, which has been pushing France to comply with EU rules limiting debt.—
NPR,
NPR,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Canva/Cisco While everyone else is anxiously worrying about AI replacing jobs, Katsoudas—who leads the AI Workforce Consortium—thinks that AI could be the thing that gives workers the chance to have a longer career within a single organization.—
Katherine Fung,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Co-worker bugging you during heads down time?—
Sam Woodward,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Sets are decorated with vintage posters and props, enough to give texture without distracting.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The whole idea is to choose something that isn't too distracting.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The popular Bandai Namco childlike-horror franchise Little Nightmares is back and with more disturbances in tow.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Once formed, these waves can travel across entire ocean basins, radiating outward from the point of disturbance and impacting coastlines far from the origin.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This ensures smooth energy transfer without disturbing the lake’s ecosystem.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Oct. 2025
-
His landscapes are muddy and void, prone to sudden invasion by disturbing strangers, including the giant whale carcass that arrives on a train at the beginning of his 1989 novel, The Melancholy of Resistance.—
Walt Hunter,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
A lot of noise around the Chiefs The Chiefs have become a mainstay in NFL discourse by winning three Super Bowls in the Mahomes era, and annoying an endless list of fan bases with their ability to overcome the odds and rally for a late win at an unprecedented rate.—
Scott Chasen,
Kansas City Star,
21 Sep. 2025
-
The Sounders’ defenders swarmed Messi from the first minute, and midfielder Obed Vargas was particularly physical, annoying the Argentine icon time and again.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Other corners of the market are showing concerning signs of froth.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Meanwhile, a federal appeals court heard arguments concerning a lower court's order that blocked the deployment of National Guard troops in Portland.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothering. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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