Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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 the most maddening thing,” he told Nguyen.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

That’s especially maddening for Ezekowitz, who doesn’t waste his computing power on upsets that stun exactly nobody.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

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 • Jan. 6, 2026

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

From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025

The next hour was a mix of maddening rushing around, then equally maddening waiting.

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner

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.