maddening

American  

[mad-n-ing] / ˈmæd n ɪŋ /

adjective

1. driving to madness or frenzy.

   a maddening thirst.

2. infuriating or exasperating.

   his maddening indifference to my pleas.

3. raging; furious.

   a maddening wind.

---

ˈmaddening British  

/ ˈmædənɪŋ /

adjective

1. serving to send mad

2. extremely annoying; exasperating

---

Other Word Forms

• maddeningly adverb
• maddeningness noun

Etymology

Origin of maddening

First recorded in 1735–45; madden + -ing ²

Example Sentences

The fear among loyal fans that this maddening football team will ruin not just prized weekends, but life itself?

From The Wall Street Journal

Potts was asked to bowl one more futile spell of bouncers, with the maddening Smith playing tennis-style smashes and signalling a wide to the umpires.

From BBC

Figuring out the purse for 34 of the 35 graded stakes races at Santa Anita is, for horsemen anyway, maddeningly simple: Just look up the minimum purse required in North America.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s time to break the maddening cycle by getting back to basics, heading into the new year.

From Barron's

It’s time to break the maddening cycle by getting back to basics, heading into the new year.

From Barron's

Related Words

• aggravating
• annoying
• exasperating
• frustrating
• infuriating
• troubling