annoy

verb

an·​noy ə-ˈnȯi 

annoyed; annoying; annoys

transitive verb

1

: to disturb or irritate especially by repeated acts

annoyed the neighbors with their loud arguments

2

: to harass especially by quick brief attacks

intransitive verb

: to cause annoyance

annoyer noun

Synonyms

• aggravate
• bother
• bug
• burn (up)
• chafe
• eat
• exasperate
• frost
• gall
• get
• grate
• gripe
• hack (off)
• irk
• irritate
• itch
• nark [British]
• nettle
• peeve
• persecute
• pique
• put out
• rasp
• rile
• ruffle
• spite
• vex

Choose the Right Synonym for annoy

annoy, vex, irk, bother mean to upset a person's composure.

annoy implies a wearing on the nerves by persistent petty unpleasantness.

their constant complaining annoys us

vex implies greater provocation and stronger disturbance and usually connotes anger but sometimes perplexity or anxiety.

vexed by her son's failure to clean his room

irk stresses difficulty in enduring and the resulting weariness or impatience of spirit.

careless waste irks the boss

bother suggests interference with comfort or peace of mind.

don't bother me while I'm reading

synonyms see in addition worry

Examples of annoy in a Sentence

deliberately annoyed the elderly neighbor by walking across his lawn

Recent Examples on the Web

But until Tuesday afternoon, four days out, there had been no announcement of what acts would be performing, or even where the show would be held The radio silence annoyed fans, who said so online. —Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2025

Nearly one-half of Republicans (52%) are annoyed with how much attention is being paid to climate change vs. only 13% for Democrats. —Robert G. Eccles, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

Even some Republican lawmakers are getting annoyed with all the doll discourse. —Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 8 May 2025

Part 1 of Tuesday’s two-part season finale had a few guest stars of its own, with Marsha Warfield returning as Roz and Michael Urie playing a zany judge who annoyed Abby with his wild popularity. —Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 6 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English anoien, from Anglo-French anuier, ennoier, from Late Latin inodiare to make loathsome, from Latin in + odium hatred — more at odium

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for annoy

• ahoy
• alloy
• carboy
• convoy
• cowboy
• decoy
• deploy
• destroy
• employ
• employe
• enjoy
• kilroy

Kids Definition

annoy

verb

an·​noy ə-ˈnȯi 

: to disturb or irritate especially by repeated acts : vex

annoyer noun