bugging 1 of 2

noun

as in harassment
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another this perpetual bugging while I'm working is driving me nuts!

Synonyms & Similar Words

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bugging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bug
1
as in bothering
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts these incessant phone calls are really starting to bug me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worrying
to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation I hate to bug you, but could you help me move this table?

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 bugging
Verb
The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026 His doctor had been bugging him for years to get a colonoscopy because of his age, but Driggers declined. — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026 Get clear about what’s bugging you. — Usa Today, USA Today, 26 May 2026 Woke up this morning, still kind of bugging me. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 26 May 2026 Although pest control companies offer lethal solutions such as carpenter bee traps or chemical treatments, the best way to keep carpenter bees from bugging you is using stained, sealed, varnished or treated wood in building projects. — Sarah Linn april 24, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026 So, all the things people were yelling about with Southwest weren’t bugging me. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2026 But so much of my journalism has been about something that’s bugging me. — Jack Denton, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026 And also, Bill has to be home and also not bugging me. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugging
  1. harassment
  2. bothering
  3. worrying
  4. disturbance
  5. annoying
  6. irritating
  7. persecuting
  8. getting
Noun
  • The complaint included declarations from eight other women who also described the harassment and management’s response, and estimated that the class complaint would include least 182 women.
    — Alexandra Olson, Fortune, 29 July 2026
  • The House’s post-#MeToo rule changes in 2018 clarified that members cannot pursue relationships with their own staff and created a new process for adjudicating harassment claims.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of harassment
Verb
  • 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
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • This can help address the root cause of behaviors such as spending excessive time in bed awake, maintaining irregular sleep schedules, and conditioned arousal such as worrying about sleep.
    — Joan M. Cook, Time, 31 July 2026
  • Why Co-Viewing Matters Today In 2026, parents spend a lot of time worrying about screen time.
    — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 31 July 2026
Definition of worrying
Noun
  • Officers say the changes are aimed at addressing a recent rise in overnight disturbances while reassuring visitors and businesses that Old Sacramento remains a safe destination.
    — Ashley Sharp, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • They are identified as brain activity accompanied with multisensory disturbances and sometimes don’t even cause the signature intense pain.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 30 July 2026
Definition of disturbance
Verb
  • 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
  • The Manchester City star is fully back to his 2024 Ballon d’Or-winning self, marshaling the middle, providing amazing connection between the front and back and even annoying the French players with some gamesmanship near the end.
    — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • While retinol on its own can be irritating, especially on sensitive skin, applying it as a moisturizer can help minimize irritation and soothe the skin—a genius product, IMO.
    — Anna Traver, InStyle, 31 July 2026
  • Be honest about what’s irritating or tempting you, because something’s got to give!
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • Biden weaponized Law Enforcement against his political opponent, while also persecuting many other innocent people.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • Jack Hayford, the founder of the King’s University, in Texas, claimed that the film was persecuting Christians, who only wanted to be treated equally.
    — Isaac Butler, New Yorker, 30 May 2026
Definition of persecuting
Verb
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired the biggest prize on the trade deadline market, getting two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • That being said, SPORT explains that Real Madrid are optimistic about getting a deal over the line after agreeing personal terms with the player.
    — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of getting

Browse Nearby Words

buggies
bugging
bugging off
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Cite this Entry

“Bugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugging. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bugging

Nglish: Translation of bugging for Spanish Speakers

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