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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

Examples 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
Notre Dame: Riley Leonard is the type of quarterback that has bothered the Buckeyes. Eric Olson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025 Vlasic is not bothered by this but does have a suggestion for the NHL. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
The pair find themselves in trouble after a hazing incident goes wrong, and attempt to lie, deceive and seduce their way out of bother. Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024 In the Spanish capital on Saturday then, Lamine is guaranteed to be a starter on the right wing looking to cause Carlo Ancelotti's men and in particular Ferland Mendy all kinds of bother. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bother 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bother
Verb
  • Another worried the fire had crept out of the Palisades toward Santa Monica Canyon, endangering his house.
    Shawn Hubler, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025
  • As writers stopped worrying about viewers losing the thread, their shows started resembling ultra-long films.
    Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Patrice O’Neal did a wonderful job of being annoyed.
    Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025
  • As the two moved through the scenes like a pair of tragic jesters, delighting the wide-eyed and annoying the cynics.
    Elise Taylor, Vogue, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Do not use strong perfumes or colognes, which can disturb the experience for others.
    Cory Martin, Verywell Health, 23 Jan. 2025
  • The show is a display of staged orderly chaos, models walking across a hilly, grassy arena, crossing in and out around the little knolls, never disturbing or interrupting each other’s paths.
    Aamina Inayat Khan, StyleCaster, 21 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Grant gets off the ball in a hurry and finds a healthy balance between playing laterally and downhill.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Keep their necessities together, in a spot where they can be reached in a hurry.
    Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • With no power to fend off poultry farms, neighbors live with stench and nuisances North Carolina keeps poultry farm locations secret.
    Gavin Off, Charlotte Observer, 26 Jan. 2025
  • Like with skateboarding, Kemp says, many leaders saw stickball as a nuisance that disrupted commerce.
    Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Other research has found that living near a factory farm is positively associated with risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia, and people who live near them report higher rates of headaches, depression, anger, and respiratory symptoms, such as asthma.
    Kenny Torrella, Vox, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Stone developed a powder from this bark which, while extremely bitter, proved an effective treatment for headaches.
    Bill Frist, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Fun small bedroom ideas feel hard to come by, and frustration sets in before anything actually improves in your space.
    Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 23 Jan. 2025
  • As frustration mounts, a once-fringe idea regains traction: secession.
    Dr. Alex Gold, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • That summer before ninth grade, his older cousin had pestered him to try wrestling.
    Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Hamstring problems, specifically, have been pestering Williamson since 2022-23, as ESPN's Tim MacMahon observes.
    Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near bother

Cite this Entry

“Bother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bother. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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