Annoying

/əˈnɔɪɪŋ/

adjectiveBeginnerVery CommonGeneral

Definitions

1

Irritating or bothersome.

/əˈnɔɪɪŋ/

adjectivenegativeBeginner
General

Causing irritation or exasperation.

That buzzing sound is really annoying.

💡 Simply: Something that makes you feel irritated.

More Examples

2

He has an annoying habit of interrupting.

How It's Used

Everyday Life

"The constant dripping of the faucet was incredibly annoying."

Child Psychology

"Toddlers can be annoying when they are testing their boundaries."

From Middle English *annoien, from Old French *anoier, from Vulgar Latin *in-odiare, from Latin *odiare "to hate".

The word 'annoying' has been used in a similar sense since the Middle English period, though its frequency has increased in modern usage.

Memory tip

Think of 'annoy' + '-ing' - something that is constantly annoying you.

Base: annoy
annoyinglyanoying

Usage

70%Spoken
30%Written