annoy
Americanverb (used with object)
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annoys,
present (3rd person singular)
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annoyed,
past participle, past
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annoying
present participle
verb (used without object)
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annoys,
present (3rd person singular)
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annoyed,
past participle, past
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annoying
present participle
noun
verb
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to irritate or displease
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to harass with repeated attacks
Usage
What does annoy mean? Annoy means to bother or irritate. The word implies that the resulting irritation does not rise to the level of serious harm or a major problem—even if someone or something annoys you very much. People usually annoy through some kind of irritating and unwanted behavior (especially when it’s repeated), such as chewing too loudly or asking you the same question over and over again. Things that annoy are often those that distract, interrupt, or intrude on what you’re trying to do, like a noise that keeps waking you up when you’re trying to fall asleep or a pop-up ad. Someone who is bothered in this way can be described as annoyed. Someone or something that annoys you can be described as annoying. Someone or something that annoys you can be called an annoyance. Less commonly, annoy means to harass. In this case, the results are more serious than the more common meaning of annoy. Example: Mom, Jeff is trying to annoy me again! He keeps humming!
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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annoysimple
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annoyssimple
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have annoyedperfect
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has annoyedperfect
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am annoyingprogressive
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are annoyingprogressive
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is annoyingprogressive
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have been annoyingperfect progressive
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has been annoyingperfect progressive
Past
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annoyedsimple
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had annoyedperfect
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was annoyingprogressive
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were annoyingprogressive
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had been annoyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of annoy
First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the verb) Middle English an(n)oien, enoien, from Anglo-French, Old French anoier, anuier “to molest, harm, tire,” from Late Latin inodiāre “to cause aversion,” from Latin phrase (mihi) in odiō (est) “I dislike,” literally, “(it is) in hate (to me)”; cf. in- 2, odium; (for the noun) Middle English a(n)noi, ennoi, from Anglo-French, Old French a(n)nui, enui, derivative of the verb ( cf. ennui ( def. ))
Explanation
The verb annoy means to bother or irritate. Your habit of constantly talking about your cats might annoy your friends more than you realize. When you annoy someone, you really rub them the wrong way. Often, the things that annoy people the most are those that are repeated again and again, like your habit of snorting every time you laugh or the screeching sound that your dishwasher makes day after day. Although the word annoy comes from the Latin phrase esse in odio, "it is hateful to me," its meaning now is less "hateful" and more "bothersome."
Vocabulary lists containing annoy
Beowulf vocabulary
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Anger (verb)
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The Sound and the Fury: Synonyms for "Anger"
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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.
See Examples For:
I’ll admit it: I often annoy my fellow humans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
"The little things that used to annoy us about each other have all gone away," says Noel Gallagher of reconciling with his brother, Liam.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
Some days, these meetings annoy me so much that I want to quit.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
At the Glenn-Mills trial in Los Angeles, Meta attorneys repeatedly hammered witnesses about the lack of a listing — at times appearing to annoy jurors and test the patience of the court.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
“But not like what you’re asking. I used to annoy him about girls, but he never gave up any info.”
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
What annoys Druckenmiller is not just the questionable wisdom of Bessent’s strategy, but the necessity.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Pay the extra money to fix the patio if it annoys you, and let go of your frustration around the guy who did not do the job properly.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 17, 2026
"It annoys me that I have to do that, but it's a trick that works," she says.
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026
Other topics we look at include the growing health risk for people under 55, family money meetings and the corporate jargon that annoys you most.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 28, 2026
It annoys me that I’m even worrying about what he thinks.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Zverev said he was "annoyed" by the response to him becoming world number one after a straight-sets loss to Lorenzo Musetti, while Medvedev was beaten 6-4 6-4 by Peruvian world number 33 Ignacio Buse.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
He’s annoyed that his bandmates are off doing their own thing.
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2026
ABC affiliates are annoyed with Disney’s plans to simulcast the Super Bowl on platforms including Disney+, ESPN2 and the NFL Network, potentially undermining their ad revenue during the game.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
I’m annoyed with ourselves for giving so much time to helping them.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 25, 2026
Other pedestrians threw me annoyed glances as I skirted around them, and I knew I was drawing attention to myself, but I couldn’t slow down.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Meanwhile, other questions are not just annoying – they are illegal.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Or would you wield this mighty power to . . . complain about an annoying family member?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Ask anyone, Republican or Democrat, and they’ll all say the same thing: Whatever happens is likely to be simultaneously annoying and frightening.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
FICO’s fee increases are extremely annoying but probably will not break your bank.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026
One of the most annoying things about my sister is how difficult it is to stay angry with her.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
