bothered 1 of 2

adjective

ˈbä-t͟hərd How to pronounce bothered (audio)
Definition of botherednext
as in annoyed
subjected to and reacting with irritation got all hot and bothered by his brother's constant unsolicited advice

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bothered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of bother
1
as in worried
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritated
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

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3
as in feared
to experience concern or anxiety just get the basic concept right and don't bother about the details

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4
as in alarmed
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy the boss's cryptic message about changes to the company bothered me

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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 bothered
Adjective
More than 60 million travelers pass through its airport each year, yet, historically, few bothered venturing into town unless on their way to a board meeting. — Diana Hubbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026 Those most bothered being Hispanic Americans. — Douglas MacKinnon, Boston Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
Verb
My summer dresses will sadly be retired in the coming weeks, but a denim midi skirt is the ideal swap on days when I can’t be bothered to wear jeans. — Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 4 Aug. 2026 While acknowledging a desire for the honor, Overeem states he's not overly bothered, having faced similar situations throughout his long career. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bothered
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothered
  1. annoyed
  2. worried
  3. irritated
  4. alarmed
  5. upset
  6. disturbed
  7. bugged
  8. concerned
Adjective
  • Bad, fine, and stressed are obvious candidates, but your favorite might be overwhelmed, annoyed, or tired.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Economists and the commentariat, playing the role of the annoyed parent, point out that over-all employment has been strong for a while.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 28 July 2026
Definition of annoyed
Verb
  • Within four months, the other members of the selectorate, worried that Beria was a threat, arrested him in a committee session and subsequently executed him.
    — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Advertisers stayed away, worried that ads would appear next to antisemitic posts, misinformation, and other objectionable content.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of worried
Verb
  • But the idea has irritated California’s billionaire class, and some have left the state in protest or threatened to do so.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026
  • Hasslers, the researchers found, tended to be people who irritated the study respondents but whom the respondents could not escape.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of irritated
Verb
  • Arizona officials were alarmed at the cuts federal officials are calling for in the three states in the river’s lower basin, the Arizona Republic has reported.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Public health authorities may be especially alarmed by possible tularemia cases because the bacterium that causes the illness, Francisella tularensis, is a Tier 1 bioterrorism threat.
    — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Adjective
  • Once the veteran players and most of the top seeds vanished from the Canadian Open, succumbing to injury and upset, the stakes of the tournament in Montreal took on a new edge.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Council member Chris Whatley said the entire council has been upset about the news of a data center, and vowed to do everything in his official capacity to protect Keller residents.
    — Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of upset
Verb
  • Along Fence Lines and Retaining Walls Poison ivy grows best in out-of-the-way spaces that aren’t disturbed regularly.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Even when the material was strongly disturbed, the electronic order rebuilt itself smoothly across the sample.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of disturbed
Verb
  • The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, a law-enforcement agency known as NABU, had bugged Mindich’s apartment in Kyiv, and detectives picked up his conversations about Fire Point.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
  • The group alleged that as well as hacking their phones, journalists from the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday tapped landlines and bugged houses and cars.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 7 July 2026
Definition of bugged
Verb
  • Stocks rose after the report, as investors who were concerned the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates breathed a sigh of relief.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
  • By that reading, this week’s slide might have had less to do with investors concerned about AI capital expenditures post-earnings, and more with investors taking profits before the event.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of concerned

Browse Nearby Words

botherations
bothered
bothering
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Cite this Entry

“Bothered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothered. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of bothered for Spanish Speakers

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