annoying

adjective

an·​noy·​ing ə-ˈnȯi-iŋ 

: causing vexation or irritation : causing annoyance : irritating

an annoying habit

annoying questions

annoyingly

ə-ˈnȯi-iŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• abrasive
• aggravating
• bothersome
• carking
• chafing
• disturbing
• exasperating
• frustrating
• galling
• irksome
• irritating
• maddening
• nettlesome
• nettling
• peeving
• pesky
• pestiferous
• pestilent
• pestilential
• pesty
• plaguey
• plaguy
• rankling
• rebarbative
• riling
• vexatious
• vexing

Examples of annoying in a Sentence

my partner has the annoying habit of eating all the pickles and leaving a jar full of pickle juice in the refrigerator

Recent Examples on the Web

Few things are as annoying as a vacuum cleaner that leaves a strip of dust by the baseboards and in the corners. —Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 9 Apr. 2025

Ding-dong ditched … well into adulthood—one person rang a neighbor's doorbell repeatedly just to be annoying. —Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025

In fact: 85% of employees have dealt with an annoying coworker. —Elizabeth Pearson, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025

Vizio TVs reportedly show Trump immigration messaging when in standby An experience recently shared by an apparent Vizio TV owner illustrates how ads delivered via TV operating systems (OSes) can take ads from annoying to intrusive and offensive. —ArsTechnica, 1 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see annoy

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for annoying

• alloying
• deploying
• destroying
• employing
• enjoying
• cloying
• toying

Kids Definition

annoying

adjective

an·​noy·​ing ə-ˈnȯi-iŋ 

: causing annoyance

an annoying habit

annoyingly adverb