annoy
gb/ənˈɔɪ/ us/ənˈɔɪ/
A2
English
~ 800
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
to irritate or bother someone
To make someone a little angry or upset, often by doing something again and again.
Usage pattern:
to annoy [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'annoy' with 'angry'. 'Annoy' is milder and often temporary, while 'angry' is stronger.
Synonyms
irritate (Slightly more formal and can suggest both physical and emotional discomfort.)
|
bother (More casual and can imply inconvenience as well as irritation.)
Antonyms
please (Means to make someone happy or satisfied, the opposite emotional effect of annoy.)
|
delight (Implies giving great pleasure, directly opposing annoyance.)
Collocations
annoy someone
|really annoy
|slightly annoy
|annoying habit
|annoy the neighbors
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- His constant humming began to annoy everyone in the office.
- It really annoys me when people are late for meetings.
- The buzzing mosquito annoyed her all night.
- Loud phone conversations on the bus can annoy other passengers.
- She didn't mean to annoy him, but she kept interrupting.
Learner examples
- My brother annoys me when he takes my things.
- Loud music at night annoys the neighbors.
- It annoys me when people talk in the cinema.
- Her questions annoy the teacher sometimes.
- The flies annoy us during lunch outside.
Grammar
Dictionary form
annoy
IPA
GB/ənˈɔɪ/
US/ənˈɔɪ/
Syllables & stress
an - noy (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (noy)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: annoy
- 3rd Person Singular: annoys
- Present Participle: annoying
- Past: annoyed
Word family
Expressions
annoy the hell out of
1/ənˈɔɪ ðə hˈɛl ˈaʊt əv/
idiom
informal
to irritate greatly
To make someone very angry or upset.
Examples
- That constant beeping is annoying the hell out of me.
- He annoyed the hell out of his coworkers by playing loud music.
annoying habit
1/ənˈɔɪɪŋ hˈæbət/
fixed phrase
irritating repeated behavior
Something someone does often that makes other people a little angry.
Examples
- Chewing loudly is one of his most annoying habits.
- She has an annoying habit of tapping her pen.
get on someone's nerves
1/ɡˈɛt ˈɔn sˈʌmwˌʌnz nˈɚvz/
idiom
annoy or irritate someone
To annoy someone again and again so that they feel tense or angry.
Examples
- Her constant complaining is getting on my nerves.
- His constant humming is really getting on my nerves.
- He gets on my nerves when he talks during movies.
- The traffic noise got on her nerves after a while.
- Stop tapping your pen; it's getting on everyone's nerves.