# bothering

/ˈbɑðɝɪŋ/ (US) · /bˈɒðəɹɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bothering
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. annoying or disturbing

verb · CEFR B1

annoying someone or making them feel slightly unhappy.

For teachers: causing annoyance, disturbance, or minor psychological distress to another person.

- Stop bothering your sister while she is trying to do her homework.
- The persistent noise from the construction site was bothering the residents, making it impossible for them to concentrate on their work.

### 2. worrying you

verb · CEFR B1

making you feel worried or concerned about something.

For teachers: causing a person to feel concerned, anxious, or uneasy.

- Something has been bothering me about the news I heard today.
- The ethical implications of the new corporate policy were clearly bothering the senior staff, though few spoke up during the meeting.

### 3. annoying

adjective · CEFR B2

describing something that is irritating or causes trouble.

For teachers: causing irritation or annoyance; often used to describe persistent minor problems.

- He has a bothering cough that has lasted for over a week.
- The software had a few bothering glitches that, while not fatal to the system, significantly slowed down the user's workflow.

### 4. the act of disturbing

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the act of disturbing someone or taking the time to do something.

For teachers: the action of troubling or disturbing someone; the expenditure of effort on a task.

- I am sorry for the bothering, but I have a quick question.
- The constant bothering by telemarketers led the family to change their home phone number after years of use.

Usage: Often used in the gerund form to describe the process of being interrupted.

## Examples

- Is the loud music bothering you while you work?
- I didn't want to say anything at first, but the smoke from the kitchen was really bothering my eyes.
- What is most bothering to the investigators is not the lack of evidence, but the fact that the witnesses' stories align too perfectly to be natural.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.