bother 1 of 2

1
2
3
4

bother

2 of 2

noun

1
2
3
4

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
The Microsoft search engine indexed the pages when they were published publicly, and never bothered to remove the entries once the pages were changed to private on GitHub. Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 27 Feb. 2025 Mishra loves to mine the writings of postwar Jewish intellectuals for a damning quote—a racist protagonist in a Saul Bellow novel is one of his primary data points—but he can’t be bothered to cite the present-day leaders of Jewish organizations. Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
Seeing that Orlando could win games without him, and later without the Wagner bothers, kept Banchero’s spirits up. Josh Robbins, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025 Practically speaking, this can include: Finding The Right Balance Of User Convenience And Data Security As mentioned above, a major cause of users setting overly wide access permissions is to avoid the bother of addressing subsequent individual access requests. Adam Gavish, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for bother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bother
Verb
  • In a new Reuters/Ipsos survey, 71% agree that the very wealthy have too much influence on the Trump White House, and 58% worry that Musk’s cuts could delay payments for Social Security and student aid.
    Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Perhaps not surprisingly, the migration of Russians — and resulting culture clash — has fueled a backlash among many locals, who welcome the visitors but worry about losing jobs and quality of life.
    Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Instead of getting annoyed, try again a few minutes later and remember, never vent your frustration to your cats.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Since then, Lorenzo had been aggressive in pushing the Pinos to seek better medical expertise to get to the bottom of Tatiana’s health problems — an effort that reportedly annoyed Sergio.
    Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Stay on marked trails, pack all your trash, and respect wildlife (do not feed or disturb them).
    Emese Maczko, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
  • In his State of the State speech Wednesday, Pritzker argued the current moment has disturbing parallels to the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany.
    Alex Thompson, Axios, 21 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Read the full Capricorn Daily Horoscope Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) In a hurry?
    USA TODAY, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
  • The movie business may be exclusive, biased, and brutal, but this year’s Oscars — which, for once, were not in a hurry and hardly played anyone off — spun out the illusion that everyone could be an insider, all of us in it together, even those of us watching at home.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • So far the victims, regarded as a nuisance, have gotten nothing.
    Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Mexico accuses them of negligence, public nuisance and unjust enrichment.
    Belen Zapata, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Both conditions also involve symptoms outside the intestines, such as headaches or brain fog.5 Only celiac disease involves symptoms related to malnutrition, which occurs because the small intestine is damaged.
    Sarah Bence, Health, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Less frequent side effects can include chest discomfort, weakness, headache, rhinitis, hypoglycemia and vitamin B12 deficiency (with long-term metformin use).
    Leslie Baumann, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The car is filled with tension, with Basel’s frustration and Yuval’s exasperation.
    Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Trump was willing to give detente a shot but underwent a 180-degree turn after the first sign of frustration.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The Ravens’ defense is also a solid unit that can pester any offense, even if it is led by Mahomes and schemed by head coach Andy Reid.
    Scott Thompson, Fox News, 5 Sep. 2024
  • The 31-year-old forward has brought a toughness and physicality the group needed by committing hard fouls (on and off the ball), pestering opponents and making things difficult for them.
    Jovan Buha, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bother. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on bother

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!