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Synonyms

bothersome

American  
[both-er-suhm] / ˈbɒð ər səm /

adjective

  1. causing annoyance or worry; troublesome.

    Synonyms:
    galling, vexatious, irksome, irritating, annoying
bothersome British  
/ ˈbɒðəsəm /

adjective

  1. causing bother; troublesome

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bothersome

First recorded in 1825–35; bother + -some 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Briton has also switched to a platform serve, meaning he stands with his feet slightly wider to allow a smoother transfer of weight, in an attempt to alleviate pressure on the bothersome bruised humerus.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

After spending the first half of 2024 rehabbing from that, he returned for seven starts last year before again being shelved by a long bothersome toe injury, leading to another offseason procedure.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2025

To say that all the above information is upsetting for job seekers would be akin to saying that the meteor from 66 million years ago was bothersome for the dinosaurs.

From Salon • Jul. 28, 2024

What does that say about pop culture that that is so bothersome to you?

From BBC • May 30, 2024

It dispensed with all those bothersome little acts of daily courage; it offered hope and grace to the repetitive coward; it justified the past while amortizing the future.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.