annoying

[uh-noi-ing]

adjective

1. causing annoyance; irritatingly bothersome.

   annoying delays.

Other Word Forms

• annoyingly adverb
• annoyingness noun
• half-annoying adjective
• half-annoyingly adverb
• unannoying adjective
• unannoyingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of annoying¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; annoy + -ing ²

Example Sentences

The show "seesaws between thrilling and annoying", according to USA Today's Kelly Lawler, while the Atlantic's Sophie Gilbert described most of it as "largely joyless and grim".

Read more on BBC

The issues prompted his landlord to blast the annoying earworm of a song to bring the city’s attention to the problem, he said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It spread like wildfire on TikTok and Instagram, spawning its own hand gestures, and became so ubiquitous -- and annoying -- that it was reportedly banned in some US schools.

Read more on Barron's

“In the beginning, it did feel like we were this annoying little buzzard,” Miranda said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Even if you don’t find your relative annoying and don’t butt heads on politics, expecting someone to host is a lot, especially for longer stays.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• aggravating 
• bothersome 
• disturbing 
• irritating 
• troublesome 

When To Use

What does annoying mean?

Annoying is an adjective that’s used to describe someone or something that annoys you—bothers or irritates you.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 is extremely annoying.People who are annoying are usually engaging in 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 are annoying 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 or something that’s annoying can be called an annoyance. The adjective annoyed is used to describe someone who is bothered in this way.Example: Mom, Jeff is being so annoying! He keeps humming!