annoying
gb/ənˈɔɪɪŋ/ us/ənˈɔɪɪŋ/
B1
English
~ 9500
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
causing irritation or slight anger
Making someone feel bothered, unhappy, or a little angry, often again and again.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is annoying; to find [something] annoying; it is annoying to [do something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "annoying" with "angry". "Annoying" describes the person or thing that causes the bad feeling (for example: "The noise is annoying"), while "angry" describes how a person feels (for example: "I am angry about the noise"). Learners also sometimes say "I am annoying" when they mean "I am annoyed"; "I am annoying" means other people feel irritated by you, while "I am annoyed" means you feel irritated.
Synonyms
irritating (Slightly more formal; often used for things like sounds, behaviors, or medical symptoms.)
|
bothersome (A bit less common in everyday speech; emphasizes being a mild but persistent problem.)
|
frustrating (Stronger feeling of being blocked from doing something, not just mildly irritated.)
Antonyms
pleasant (Describes something that feels nice and is enjoyable instead of irritating.)
|
enjoyable (Focuses on giving pleasure and fun, the opposite of causing irritation.)
Collocations
really annoying
|very annoying
|slightly annoying
|an annoying habit
|annoying noise
|annoying problem
Themes
emotions
|daily_life
|social
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He's so annoying when he talks during the movie.
- It's really annoying when my phone keeps freezing.
- That constant buzzing noise from the fridge is getting very annoying.
- I find it annoying when people are late and don't say anything.
- One of her most annoying habits is checking her email in the middle of conversations.
Learner examples
- My little brother is annoying when he sings very loudly.
- It is annoying when the bus is late every day.
- This music is annoying, so I want to turn it off.
- The flies in the kitchen are very annoying.
- I think it is annoying to wait in a long line.
Grammar
Dictionary form
annoying
IPA
GB/ənˈɔɪɪŋ/
US/ənˈɔɪɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
an - noy - ing (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (noy)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: annoying
- Comparative: annoyinger
- Superlative: annoyingest
Word family
Expressions
annoying as hell
1/ənˈɔɪɪŋ ˈæz hˈɛl/
fixed phrase
informal
extremely annoying
Used to say that something or someone is very, very annoying.
Examples
- Those pop-up ads are annoying as hell when you’re trying to read an article.
- The new alarm sound is annoying as hell, but at least it wakes me up.