annoyance

noun an·noy·ance \ ə-ˈnȯi-ən(t)s \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of annoyance

1 : the act of annoying someone or of being annoyed

2 : the state or feeling of being annoyed : vexation

She couldn't hide her annoyance.

3 : a source of vexation or irritation : nuisance

The delay was a minor annoyance.

See annoyance defined for English-language learners

See annoyance defined for kids

Examples of annoyance in a Sentence

She expressed annoyance at the slow service.
they have an unlisted number in the hopes that it will reduce the constant annoyance by telemarketers

Recent Examples of annoyance from the Web

Fewer notification annoyances Notifications are a smartphone necessity.

— jacob kastrenakes, The Verge, "The 5 most important Android P updates," 9 May 2018
Instructions for Correct Assembly, by Thomas Eccleshare, is directed by Hamish Pirie for what seems to be maximum inscrutability and annoyance value.

— toby zinman, Philly.com, "London Theater: 'Prudes' and 'Instructions for Correct Assembly' at the Royal Court," 6 May 2018
Sloan also gave a nifty internal innovation example of how Wells has begun auto-filling mortgage applications for customers, eliminating a common pain point (read: annoyance) in the borrowing process.

— adam lashinsky, Fortune, "Steel Twist, Facebook Privacy, Autonomy Conviction: CEO Daily for May 1, 2018," 1 May 2018
This can cause mild annoyances like hives or itchy eyes, or life-threatening issues like anaphylaxis, where blood pressure plummets and airways start swelling shut.

— umair irfan, Vox, "It’s not your imagination. Allergy season gets worse every year.," 28 Apr. 2018
For cats who throw one up more than once a week, hairballs can mean more than just a household annoyance.

— patty khuly, miamiherald, "Cat’s hairballs are undeniably gross, but necessary and normal | Miami Herald," 5 Apr. 2018
Sure, parenting comes with a bunch of little annoyances, but the joys kids bring to your life outweigh them a trillionfold.

— tiffany blackstone, Redbook, "7 Times Parents Wish They Could Say, "LOL, Nope!"," 4 June 2015
The naturalism of these scenes, in which the glitches in human behavior are casually revealed through the awkwardness of silence and the annoyance of too much speech, is lost in Worsham's production.

— charles mcnulty, latimes.com, "In 'Belleville,' two Americans in Paris head into Hitchcock territory," 24 Apr. 2018
Where other truly wireless earbuds have routinely experienced audio stutters, dropouts, and disconnects on busy streets, those annoyances were incredibly rare with the Jabras.

— chris welch, The Verge, "Jabra Elite 65t review: the best AirPods alternative," 17 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'annoyance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.