annoy

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verb an·noy \ ə-ˈnȯi \

Definition of annoy

transitive verb

1 :to disturb or irritate especially by repeated acts

annoyed the neighbors with their loud arguments

2 :to harass especially by quick brief attacks

intransitive verb

:to cause annoyance

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annoyer

noun

See annoy defined for English-language learners

See annoy defined for kids

Examples of annoy in a Sentence

deliberately annoyed the elderly neighbor by walking across his lawn

Recent Examples of annoy from the Web

Trump wasn’t the only one annoyed by Flake’s Conscience of a Conservative and the accompanying tour.

— jonathan s. tobin, National Review, "How to Give Jeff Flake’s Senate Seat to a Democrat," 18 Aug. 2017
First, because goals like stress reduction are so clear, attainable, and gratifying, many people now sing the praises of meditation—which deeply annoys some people who don’t.

— robert wright, WIRED, "Is Mindfulness Meditation BS?," 12 Aug. 2017
Air quality is already poor across large parts of the state, and fires burning many miles away can produce smoke and haze that aggravate asthma and annoy people, potentially creating a political backlash.

— justin gillis, New York Times, "Let Forest Fires Burn? What the Black-Backed Woodpecker Knows," 6 Aug. 2017
Everyday fatherly tasks, like playing with Legos or blocks with Esther, annoy him more than charm him, though in the end his love for her is a key part of what fuels the climactic tension.

— john williams, New York Times, "A Brief but Potent Scare in ‘You Should Have Left’," 3 July 2017
Hint: Usually the actions that most annoy others are misguided defense mechanisms.

— jodie layne, Allure, "What This Week's Horoscope Means for You," 2 July 2017
Nadal, too, took off the last four months of 2016, which annoyed tournament directors and the ATP suits, but afforded him vital downtime.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "The case for time off: Roger Federer's downtime could pay off big at Wimbledon," 30 June 2017
A source who spoke with Trump after the G7 summit told CNN's Kevin Liptak that the President was annoyed after sitting through lectures from leaders including Macron and Merkel about the Paris accord during his previous visit to Europe.

— stephen collinson, CNN, "Trump's surprise Paris visit marks shrewd political calculation," 29 June 2017
Their role may also annoy the moderate Tories most likely to question Brexit.

— simon kennedy, Bloomberg.com, "Brexit Bulletin: Citizenship Test for May," 27 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of annoy

Middle English anoien, from Anglo-French anuier, ennoier, from Late Latin inodiare to make loathsome, from Latin in + odium hatred — more at odium

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

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annoy Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of annoy

annoy, vex, irk, bother mean to upset a person's composure. annoy implies a wearing on the nerves by persistent petty unpleasantness.

- their constant complaining annoys us

vex implies greater provocation and stronger disturbance and usually connotes anger but sometimes perplexity or anxiety.

- vexed by her son's failure to clean his room

irk stresses difficulty in enduring and the resulting weariness or impatience of spirit.

- careless waste irks the boss

bother suggests interference with comfort or peace of mind.

- don't bother me while I'm reading

synonyms see in addition worry

ANNOY Defined for English Language Learners

annoy

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verb

Definition of annoy for English Language Learners

: to cause (someone) to feel slightly angry

ANNOY Defined for Kids

annoy

play

verb an·noy \ ə-ˈnȯi \

Definition of annoy for Students

annoyed; annoying

:to cause to feel slightly angry or irritated

Synonym Discussion of annoy

annoy, pester, and tease mean to disturb and upset a person. annoy is used for bothering someone to the point of anger.

- I am annoyed by your bad behavior.

pester is used for bothering someone over and over.

- Stop pestering me for more money.

tease often is used for continually tormenting someone until that person is provoked or upset.

- They teased the child to the point of tears.

Learn More about annoy

See words that rhyme with annoy Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for annoy Spanish Central: Translation of annoy Nglish: Translation of annoy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of annoy for Arabic speakers

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Origin and Etymology of annoy

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ANNOY Defined for English Language Learners

annoy

Definition of annoy for English Language Learners

ANNOY Defined for Kids

annoy

Definition of annoy for Students

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