annoy
verb (used with object)
to disturb or bother (a person) in a way that displeases, troubles, or slightly irritates.
had been annoying
-
past perfect progressiveof annoy.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
In 1991, a committee room full of U.S. senators listened to an answering machine recording that had been annoying people across the country.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 18, 2019
It had been annoying him for some time and deserved it, according to Alexander Zverev.
From Reuters ● Jan. 17, 2017
Jeff was next; his chewing had been annoying in normal circumstances but the constant mastication, after Peter’s death, was unbearable.
From The Verge ● Aug. 2, 2015
Asked if the rehashing of the incident had been annoying, he said, "Yeah, it gets tiresome, it gets old," Cutler said.
From Chicago Tribune ● Sep. 24, 2012
At the time of my visit, the Nisqually had been annoying state authorities for decades, tenaciously pursuing what they believed to be their right to fish on their ancestral fishing grounds.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
