Standard Lemma guide

bothersome

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australian: /ˈbɔðəsəm/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈbɒðəsəm/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: bŏʹthərsəm
  • General-American: /ˈbɑðɚsəm/
  • rhymes with -ɒðə(ɹ)səm
  • CMU ARPABET: B AA1 DH ER0 S AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Causing trouble, annoyance, inconvenience, irritation, or perplexity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • bothersome detail
  • The mosquito bites were bothersome.
  • She found his questions increasingly bothersome.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: troublesome, annoying, inconveniencing, irritating, perplexing

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

causing irritation or annoyance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • tapping an annoying rhythm on his glass with his fork
  • aircraft noise is particularly bothersome near the airport
  • found it galling to have to ask permission
  • an irritating delay
  • nettlesome paperwork
  • a pesky mosquito
  • swarms of pestering gnats
  • a plaguey newfangled safety catch
  • a teasing and persistent thought annoyed him
  • a vexatious child
  • it is vexing to have to admit you are wrong

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: annoying, galling, irritating, nettlesome, pesky, pestering, pestiferous, plaguy, plaguey, teasing, vexatious, vexing

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From bother + -some.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: shqetësues — causing bother or perplexity
  • Armenian: ձանձրալի (janjrali) — causing bother or perplexity
  • Armenian: տհաճ (thač) — causing bother or perplexity
  • Armenian: անհանգստացնող (anhangstacʻnoġ) — causing bother or perplexity
  • German: verwirrend — causing bother or perplexity
  • Ancient Greek: ὀχληρός (okhlērós) — causing bother or perplexity
  • Irish: trioblóideach — causing bother or perplexity
  • Italian: irritante — causing bother or perplexity
  • Italian: seccante — causing bother or perplexity
  • Italian: noioso — causing bother or perplexity
  • Italian: fastidioso — causing bother or perplexity
  • Japanese: めんどくさい (mendokusai) — causing bother or perplexity
  • Māori: whakatōwenewene — causing bother or perplexity
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sjenerende — causing bother or perplexity
  • Polish: kłopotliwy — causing bother or perplexity
  • Russian: хлопотли́вый (xlopotlívyj) — causing bother or perplexity
  • Spanish: enfadoso — causing bother or perplexity
  • Spanish: hostigoso — causing bother or perplexity
  • Spanish: irritante — causing bother or perplexity
  • Spanish: molestoso — causing bother or perplexity
  • Spanish: cargante — causing bother or perplexity
  • Thai: น่ารําคาญ (nâa-ram-kaan) — causing bother or perplexity