1
as in annoys
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritates
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 worries
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 disturbs
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
1
as in stirs
a state of noisy, confused activity
the whole household was in a bother, as our overnight guests were expected to arrive any minute
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nuisances
one who is obnoxiously annoying
the woman next-door is such a bother—always dropping in at the most inopportune moments!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in headaches
something that is a source of irritation
returning damaged goods is a real bother
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in frustrations
the feeling of impatience or anger caused by another's repeated disagreeable acts
never let his personal bothers interfere with his responsibilities at work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 bothers
Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
An unconventional structure or new approach bothers them not a whit.
—Mac Barnett, Longreads, 5 May 2026
This is hurtful and bothers me a lot.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2026
My fiance struggles with communication and tends to pretend nothing bothers him.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
What bothers me about that isn’t the family help itself.
—Blake O'Shaughnessy, Fortune, 3 May 2026
None of that, nor the fact Beckham missed all of 2025, bothers Harbaugh.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Picking even one or two multifunctional pieces in the spaces where clutter bothers you most can make a noticeable difference.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2026
His approach is to look at what bothers that person the most.
—Kaicey Baylor, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Verb
And if someone bothers Anaia, Racine is there to fight for her.
—Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
An unconventional structure or new approach bothers them not a whit.
—Mac Barnett, Longreads, 5 May 2026
This is hurtful and bothers me a lot.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2026
My fiance struggles with communication and tends to pretend nothing bothers him.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
What bothers me about that isn’t the family help itself.
—Blake O'Shaughnessy, Fortune, 3 May 2026
None of that, nor the fact Beckham missed all of 2025, bothers Harbaugh.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Picking even one or two multifunctional pieces in the spaces where clutter bothers you most can make a noticeable difference.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2026
His approach is to look at what bothers that person the most.
—Kaicey Baylor, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
Fonseca is the youngest of three bothers.
—Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothers
Verb
-
What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Or when Reggie purposefully annoys Arthur by having his son, Carmelo (Jalyn Hall), practice with his a cappella group in Arthur’s editing suite, a move that demonstrates the increasingly teasing affection between Arthur and Reggie.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Elsa’s inquisitive presence almost instantly irritates Amalia, as the latter refuses to simply acquiesce to her relentless quizzing.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
-
The impish half-smile that irritates opponents eventually returns to his face, though.—
Chris Smith,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
But this ambitious vision, which many in the sector think will become reality sooner or later, worries atmospheric researchers.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
-
Although consumer spending — which accounts for roughly two-thirds of economic activity — has largely held up this year, Ajilore worries that could change quickly.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The worms thrash and move erratically with a snake-like motion that disturbs the topsoil.—
Maria Braganini,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
There are lots of things weightlessness disturbs, even in the short run.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Refrigerated pie crust helps this pie come together with just a few stirs of the whisk.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Land use regulations were legally justified as preventing nuisances, but in reality, the goal of many municipal leaders was to promote socially and racially homogenous neighborhoods, protect property values and keep property taxes low.—
Michael Schill,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
Previous modernization efforts The airport has previously suffered from a host of issues that have proved nuisances for travelers, including green liquid falling from the ceiling and broken escalators.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The need to seek alternative Internet fiber routes comes on top of Big Tech’s other headaches from the war and Strait of Hormuz crisis.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
19 May 2026
-
Scarlett Johansson is Hester, Irwin’s wife, whose terrible headaches and blurred vision result in a devastating medical diagnosis.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
That potential is why the Bills chose to exercise the fifth-year option from his rookie contract despite recurring medical frustrations.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Others focused on the park-wide outage itself, with some guests sharing frustrations about long waits and ride shutdowns throughout the day.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bothers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothers. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
