Word
annoy
Phoneticsan·noy, stress on the second syllable
US/əˈnɔɪ/
UK/ɐnˈɔɪ/
Definitions
01to irritate
B1 · Intermediate
v. to make someone feel a little bit angry or lose their patience.
v. to irritate or bother someone, typically through repeated or persistent actions that cause mild anger.
“The sound of the dripping tap started to annoy me while I was trying to sleep.”
“It began to annoy the professor when students consistently arrived ten minutes late, disrupting the flow of the morning lecture.”
02a feeling of irritation
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Archaic · Literary
n. a feeling of being bothered or slightly angry.
n. a state of discomfort or vexation; used primarily in older literature to describe the feeling of being troubled.
“In the old story, the knight felt great annoy at the constant noise.”
“The poet spoke of a deep annoy that troubled his spirit, a restless irritation born of long years in exile.”
Synonyms
03a source of trouble
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic · Literary
n. something that causes trouble or makes you feel bothered.
n. that which causes irritation or harm; a source of nuisance or injury.
“The cold wind was a constant annoy to the travelers on the mountain.”
“The king sought to rid his lands of every annoy, from the bandits on the roads to the heavy taxes on the poor.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “annoy” in context.
Verb
01. begin to annoy
“The loud music next door was starting to annoy the neighbors.”
verb + infinitive
02. try to annoy
“He only said those things because he was trying to annoy his sister.”
verb + infinitive
Adverb
03. easily annoy
“My teacher is very patient and does not get easily annoyed by questions.”
adv + verb
04. really annoy
“It really annoys me when people talk loudly on their phones in the library.”
adv + verb
05. slightly annoy
“The small delay slightly annoyed the passengers, but they didn't complain.”
adv + verb
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. It is frequently used in the passive voice ('to be annoyed') followed by the prepositions 'by' or 'with'.
Pitfall
It annoys to me when it rains.
It annoys me when it rains.
Annoy is a transitive verb and takes a direct object; it does not take the preposition 'to' before the person.
Etymology
From Middle English anoyen, from Old French anoier (“to bother, disturb”), from Late Latin inodiāre (“to make loathsome”), derived from Latin odium (“loathing, hatred”). Displaced native Old English dreċċan, gremman.
From Middle English anoy, from Old French enui. Doublet of ennui.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
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