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Synonyms

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • maddeningly adverb
  • maddeningness noun

Etymology

Origin of maddening

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

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.

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

Efforts to force a lasting legacy are maddening, but ultimately, they will fail.

From Salon

But the Raiders are maddeningly consistent in their poor performances.

From Los Angeles Times

The only way to escape is to "drift"- which means hiding from a thousand algorithms by living off-grid, constantly moving and suppressing maddening paranoia that your thoughts are not your own.

From BBC

Definitions 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.