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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

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 bother
Verb
But don't bother asking your travel agent to book you a room at the New Old Lompoc House, the hotel where Sousé deposits a very drunk bank auditor named J. Pinkerton Snoopington (Francis Pangborn). Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025 The rationale for stripping you of your right to go after bad actors is usually the same: Businesses shouldn’t be bothered with frivolous lawsuits. Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2025
Noun
Season eight of Love Is Blind will follow singles from Minneapolis, Minnesota and is already in some bother with the National Labor Relations Board! Movie icon Robert De Niro leads Netflix’s most prestige TV launch for February, in the political thriller Zero Day. Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2025 That should make entering and exiting the vehicle less of a bother. New Atlas, 31 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bother
Verb
  • Critics worry that other anti-democratic actors will be taking cues from Bukele to curry favor with this particular president.
    David Catanese, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Victims of car collisions may have more to worry about as insurance companies warn drivers to be aware of a growing scam involving tow truck companies.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Waltz now has a bunch of top officials, and their teams, who are annoyed at him for drawing bad publicity.
    Marc Caputo, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025
  • However, standing in the middle of a road to capture the Eiffel Tower in the background is not only unsafe but can also annoy locals.
    Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • This involved manually disturbing the leg and then releasing it, capturing the resulting oscillations on high-speed video.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
  • What Is No-Till Gardening? Simply put, no-till is an approach to gardening that avoids disturbing soil in order to preserve its structure.
    Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Possessions from some of those who were on the Titanic, some likely abandoned in a hurry, can also be seen on the 3D model.
    Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
  • If the Twins don’t get their act together in a hurry, those 10 remaining games against the White Sox might not mean much.
    Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • At first, the un-washable Fisk murals are a nuisance to the new mayor, but there are ways to take advantage of the situation.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2025
  • In a meeting that month which Dahl recorded, Turner referred to Williams as a nuisance who had already been dealt with.
    Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Aside from her talk about specific songs, Roan also opened up about the creative process, which can sometimes be a massive headache, despite her being known for her catalog of fun and peppy songs.
    Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 17 Apr. 2025
  • Making matters worse, China’s been a real headache for Starbucks, even before the tariffs, on increasing local competition and tepid growth in the world’s second-largest economy.
    Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • This largely comes from a place of frustration at what is perceived as self-hate.
    Tayler Adigun, Essence, 16 Apr. 2025
  • This has been a source of frustration for the woman’s mother, who desires more time with her grandchildren.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The 65-game rule will carry over, which eliminates players who could otherwise be in contention, such as the LA Clippers’ Kris Dunn or Derrick Jones Jr., who have pestered dribblers all season but haven’t played enough to make the ballot.
    Fred Katz, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
  • High-risk Labradors also tended to pester their owners for food more often.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bother. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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