bothering 1 of 2

noun

as in harassment
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another one more bothering, and I'm going to kick you out of here

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bothering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bother
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

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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

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3
as in fearing
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 distracting
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy the boss's cryptic message about changes to the company bothered me

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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 bothering
Verb
Some interns hesitate to contact their former colleagues for fear of bothering them, but most people are eager to help out young talent. — Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 Contreras rarely takes days off but asked for a day off Sunday with his leg bothering him. — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 The one issue that is bothering me at or just before launch is the CPU's Wear and Tear management. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026 The arnica in this gel can help treat sore muscles, aches, swelling, or other pains that are bothering you, too. — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2026 Once your child starts spilling the beans about what’s bothering them, be understanding. — Jenna Autuori-Dedic, Parents, 4 Aug. 2026 Hip still bothering Springs Springs lasted just four innings after issuing a season-high five walks, throwing 86 pitches — only 51% of them strikes — and gave up his 28th home run of the season, the most of any pitcher in the league. — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Sharks already frequent Southern California beaches, usually without bothering anyone. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026 Wasps are generally more interested in building their colony and finding food than in bothering people. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 17 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bothering
  1. harassment
  2. worrying
  3. bugging
  4. distracting
  5. disturbance
  6. pestering
  7. annoying
  8. concerning
Noun
  • The suspect, 35-year-old Jorden Perozo, is charged with battery and harassment based on religious or ethnic heritage.
    — Abby Dodge, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • He has been charged with second-degree murder, harassment, domestic assault, and tampering with physical evidence, according to court documents.
    — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of harassment
Verb
  • This was several shades darker, worrying about economic upheaval, social unrest, cyberattacks, bioterrorism—and most important, the failure of experts and governments to take these threats seriously enough.
    — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Celeste begins worrying about her mother-in-law after her credit cards are declined and her outfits are increasingly out of place, but things begin to click when Mary-Louise gives Max, Josh and Ziggy expensive cars.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of worrying
Verb
  • However, in-flight cabin etiquette is only one part of what’s bugging travelers this summer.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
Definition of bugging
Verb
  • The distracting Diwali fireworks distracted led to reshoots of the pivotal moment.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Not only are these sheer curtains over half off right now, but the subtle stripe adds just enough visual interest without distracting from your room’s overall design scheme.
    — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of distracting
Noun
  • The smallest robot was the most agile of the three, and the largest one was the best at maintaining its trajectory when faced with disturbances meant to throw it off course.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
  • On Thursday a tropical disturbance managed to overcome headwinds to become a tropical storm.
    — Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of disturbance
Verb
  • In the clip shared on social media, the bird appears poised to go after a second player before veering off at the last moment, then continues pestering several others on the field until the referee is forced to pause the game.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Bonner brought the bull market with him to CSUF, bringing his pressing, pestering and passionate style of play to a fanbase starved for success.
    — Brian Robin, Oc Register, 8 June 2026
Definition of pestering
Verb
  • Kids in all three countries loved learning dances from TikTok and annoying their siblings.
    — Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Of course, this would depend on whether the managers choose to pick their strongest teams in what for some is a meaningless, even annoying extra fixture, for squads who just want to go home.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • The clandestine manner in which LG monitors were installing ad-pushing software onto third-party devices, however, remains seriously concerning.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The organization says while a lot of work has been accomplished to bring those numbers down, any death in the community is concerning, every loss affects the community.
    — Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of concerning

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Cite this Entry

“Bothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bothering. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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