Word
annoying
Phoneticsan·noy·ing, stress on the second syllable
US/əˈnɔɪɪŋ/
UK/ɐnˈɔɪɪŋ/
Definition
adj. making you feel slightly angry, impatient, or bothered.
adj. causing a feeling of slight anger or irritation; troublesome or vexatious in nature.
Examples
“The loud music from the neighbor's house is very annoying.”
“It is really annoying when the internet connection drops right in the middle of an important video call.”
“While the software update was intended to improve security, the constant pop-up notifications proved so annoying that many users disabled the feature entirely.”
Examples
simple
“The loud music from the neighbor's house is very annoying.”
contextual
“It is really annoying when the internet connection drops right in the middle of an important video call.”
complex
“While the software update was intended to improve security, the constant pop-up notifications proved so annoying that many users disabled the feature entirely.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “annoying” in context.
Verb
01. become annoying
“The music started out fine, but it quickly became annoying.”
verb + adj
02. find something annoying
“I find his constant complaining very annoying.”
verb + noun + adj
Adjective
03. annoying habit
“He has an annoying habit of interrupting people while they are speaking.”
adj + noun
04. annoying sound
“That high-pitched annoying sound is coming from the refrigerator.”
adj + noun
05. really annoying
“It is really annoying when the train is late every single morning.”
adv + adj
06. slightly annoying
“The noise from the street is slightly annoying, but I can still sleep.”
adv + adj
Pitfall
I am very annoying with this loud music.
I am very annoyed by this loud music.
Use 'annoying' to describe the thing that causes the problem (the music). Use 'annoyed' to describe how you feel.
Confusables
Annoyed describes the person feeling the emotion, while annoying describes the thing or person causing it.
Remember-ed is how I feel; -ing is the thing.
Etymology
From annoy + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- 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
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/annoying