maddening

adjective

mad·​den·​ing ˈmad-niŋ 

ˈma-dᵊn-iŋ

1

: tending to disturb or drive mad

2

a

: tending to infuriate

b

: tending to vex : irritating

maddeningly

ˈmad-niŋ-lē 

ˈma-dᵊn-iŋ-

adverb

Synonyms of maddening

• frustrating
• annoying
• irritating
• disturbing

Examples of maddening in a Sentence

He has a maddening habit of interrupting other people.

She shows a maddening inability to control her children.

Recent Examples on the Web

And well, if that is the case, the weekend provided answers; style is just that, a tiny piece of the sport’s glorious, maddening, all-important unimportance. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025

These days, Ernst Lubitsch's The Shop Around the Corner is mostly remembered as the inspiration for You've Got Mail, the maddening Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan rom-com that's become something of a Christmas classic in its own right. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Nov. 2025

And the number of incorrect calls remains maddening. —Troy Renck, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025

In addition to receiving his literary gifts with sometimes maddening innocence, rural Kansas made the pleasant discovery that Truman Capote’s personal characteristics are accented by an irrepressible capacity for enjoyment. —Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1743, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for maddening

• saddening

Kids Definition

maddening

adjective

mad·​den·​ing

ˈmad-niŋ, 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: that irritates or angers

a maddening habit

maddeningly adverb