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

Scientists had no way to explain it, a mystery that was “super annoying,” Goldfinger said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"It was good for it to have a name but annoying that it was stopping us from having a baby."

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And yes, the most annoying part of any recipe: chilling the batter really does matter.

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Tooney is more like my younger sister - the one that makes you laugh and is annoying and you have to look after.

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This year’s Emmys employed a novel, off-putting and deeply annoying way of trying to keep acceptance speeches short.

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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!