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
New Atlas, 2 Jan. 2025
The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 Dec. 2024
Somehow, that doesn’t cure Guillermo’s melancholy, and the other vamps theorize about why this is bothering Guillermo so much.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 16 Dec. 2024
Instead, focus on things like what's been bothering you in the past week, stress about an upcoming event, or a work incident that rubbed you the wrong way.
—Perri Ormont Blumberg, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
The diagnosis came about when Turner went to an orthopedic surgeon for a shoulder injury that had long been bothering him.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
The cut was definitely bothering him.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
Treatment starts with testing to make sure juniper is the allergen that's bothering you.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Dec. 2024
The Kansas Jayhawks were bothering Shedeur Sanders all day, but the star quarterback especially took exception to one hit.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 24 Nov. 2024
Verb
Rodin Cars The big idea behind Rodin is to build cars without bothering about vehicle regulations – in stark contrast to F1 cars, which are subject to several rules around how they're put together.
—New Atlas, 2 Jan. 2025
The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 Dec. 2024
Somehow, that doesn’t cure Guillermo’s melancholy, and the other vamps theorize about why this is bothering Guillermo so much.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 16 Dec. 2024
Instead, focus on things like what's been bothering you in the past week, stress about an upcoming event, or a work incident that rubbed you the wrong way.
—Perri Ormont Blumberg, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
The diagnosis came about when Turner went to an orthopedic surgeon for a shoulder injury that had long been bothering him.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
The cut was definitely bothering him.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
Treatment starts with testing to make sure juniper is the allergen that's bothering you.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Dec. 2024
The Kansas Jayhawks were bothering Shedeur Sanders all day, but the star quarterback especially took exception to one hit.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 24 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothering
Verb
-
Overweight and obesity need to be treated safely and effectively to avoid that worrying forecast.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Dec. 2024
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Bitcoin has dropping back from its all-time high of over $100,000 in the last week as BlackRock quietly confirmed a worrying bitcoin bombshell.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Occupying and distracting the mind.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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While most of the acting is wonderful (Wyle is predictably great, but so is just about all of the main cast), some patient-of-the-week players err towards distracting histrionics.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Summary Several supplements may help with perimenopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety, stress, bone density loss, and more.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Verywell Health,
17 Apr. 2025
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According to police, Levy started the disturbance inside Baires Grill, the Miami Herald reported.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Don’t come over here disturbing my peace if mahogany queens aren’t your preferred type.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
10 Apr. 2025
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Crimping is the process of severing a crop at the base and laying it over to create a decomposing thatch/mulch layer for the garden without disturbing the soil.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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When handled, these treefrogs secrete a sticky toxin as a defense, which can be irritating to mucous membranes of people or pets who make contact with them.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
8 Apr. 2025
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All three ingredients offer significant benefits for skin brightening and skin texture, but also tend to be irritating to people with sensitive skin.—
Caroline C. Boyle,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Use the same steps, soaking your comforter, adding a small amount of gentle detergent, and agitating your piece.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
22 Mar. 2025
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Peter died in 2019, but Jane is still acting and agitating, starring on Netflix's Grace and Frankie for seven seasons, as well in the Book Club films (2018, 2023) and 80 for Brady (2023).—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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People experiencing homelessness have frequently camped in the area, using or selling drugs and at times harassing residents living and working nearby, according to emails between eight business owners and Boise officials, obtained by the Idaho Statesman through a public records request.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Apr. 2025
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Virginia law prohibits the unlawful use of the information provided on the Virginia Sex Offender Registry for purposes of intimidating or harassing an individual listed on the registry.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The prequel will introduce his family and girlfriend and the events that led up to his victory, notorious for angering the Capitol elite.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA TODAY,
12 Mar. 2025
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Reports suggest that some Republican lawmakers are frustrated with Musk’s bluster and that the DOGE approach to slashing the federal bureaucracy is angering constituents and making lawmakers less popular in their districts.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothering. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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