maddening
Americanadjective
-
driving to madness or frenzy.
a maddening thirst.
-
infuriating or exasperating.
his maddening indifference to my pleas.
-
raging; furious.
a maddening wind.
adjective
-
serving to send mad
-
extremely annoying; exasperating
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of maddening
Explanation
Maddening things are extremely irritating: they make you mad. Some drivers have the maddening habit of following other cars too closely on the highway. If something annoys you a lot, it's maddening. You might try to ignore the maddening tune your sister keeps whistling, or decide to leave a movie half way through because of the maddening acting style of its leading man. The adjective maddening comes from the less-common verb madden, "annoy someone," or "drive someone insane." Both words are rooted in the Old English gemædde, "out of one's mind."
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.
There is some reason behind the maddening format, introduced after France – who were supposed to host a 16-team men's World Cup last summer – pulled out because of money troubles.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
For the auto industry, this AM radio obsession is maddening.
From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2026
It had been a maddening couple of months as Ohtani battled injuries, slid down the batting order and failed to produce when the Dodgers needed him most — in the postseason.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Ultimately, it is the face’s unreliability that Ms. Bound-Alberti renders at once intriguing and maddening.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
“That’s good! I wish all the girls would leave, and spoil his old school. It’s perfectly maddening to think of those lovely limes,” sighed Amy, with the air of a martyr.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
