BUGGING Synonyms: 148 Similar and Opposite Words

bugging 1 of 2

noun

as in harassment

the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another this perpetual bugging while I'm working is driving me nuts!

Synonyms & Similar Words

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bugging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bug

as in bothering

to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts these incessant phone calls are really starting to bug me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in worrying

to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation I hate to bug you, but could you help me move this table?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 bugging

Verb

However, in-flight cabin etiquette is only one part of what’s bugging travelers this summer. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026 The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026 His doctor had been bugging him for years to get a colonoscopy because of his age, but Driggers declined. — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026 Get clear about what’s bugging you. — Usa Today, USA Today, 26 May 2026 Woke up this morning, still kind of bugging me. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 26 May 2026 Although pest control companies offer lethal solutions such as carpenter bee traps or chemical treatments, the best way to keep carpenter bees from bugging you is using stained, sealed, varnished or treated wood in building projects. — Sarah Linn april 24, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026 So, all the things people were yelling about with Southwest weren’t bugging me. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2026 But so much of my journalism has been about something that’s bugging me. — Jack Denton, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugging

Noun

Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu via Getty Images Two former Golden State Warriors employees have sued the NBA franchise, alleging gender, age and race-based discrimination, workplace harassment and retaliation tied to their terminations.

— Devon Henderson, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Thirteen days before Morissette’s lawsuit, Urinov filed her own claim against the singer in London’s King Bench Division, which handles cases of defamation, misuse of private information, data protection, and harassment by publication.

— Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of harassment

Verb

This was several shades darker, worrying about economic upheaval, social unrest, cyberattacks, bioterrorism—and most important, the failure of experts and governments to take these threats seriously enough.

— Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
Celeste begins worrying about her mother-in-law after her credit cards are declined and her outfits are increasingly out of place, but things begin to click when Mary-Louise gives Max, Josh and Ziggy expensive cars.

— Matt Minton, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of worrying

Noun

Estradiol transdermal patches, which deliver the estrogen hormone directly into the bloodstream, are used to ease menopause symptoms such as mood swings, hot flashes and sleep disturbances.

— Sriparna Roy, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
As if a million white collar workers suddenly cried out in terror at once, a great disturbance in the AI force forced down every major AI chatbot service — a brief moment of reprieve from our AI empire overlords.

— Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of disturbance

Verb

Kids in all three countries loved learning dances from TikTok and annoying their siblings.

— Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026
Of course, this would depend on whether the managers choose to pick their strongest teams in what for some is a meaningless, even annoying extra fixture, for squads who just want to go home.

— Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 18 July 2026

Definition of annoying

Verb

Biden weaponized Law Enforcement against his political opponent, while also persecuting many other innocent people.

— New York Times, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Jack Hayford, the founder of the King’s University, in Texas, claimed that the film was persecuting Christians, who only wanted to be treated equally.

— Isaac Butler, New Yorker, 30 May 2026

Definition of persecuting

Browse Nearby Words

buggies

bugging

bugging off

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Style

“Bugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugging. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of bugging

noun

verb

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