maddening

adjective

mad·​den·​ing ˈmad-niŋ 

ˈma-dᵊn-iŋ

1

: tending to craze

2

a

: tending to infuriate

b

: tending to vex : irritating

maddeningly

ˈmad-niŋ-lē 

ˈma-dᵊn-iŋ-

adverb

Synonyms

• abrasive
• aggravating
• annoying
• bothersome
• carking
• chafing
• disturbing
• exasperating
• frustrating
• galling
• irksome
• irritating
• nettlesome
• nettling
• peeving
• pesky
• pestiferous
• pestilent
• pestilential
• pesty
• plaguey
• plaguy
• rankling
• rebarbative
• riling
• vexatious
• vexing

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

The spindly youngster is at the beginning of a journey that will successively turn him into one of the most promising, one of the most unfortunate, one of the most maddening and ultimately one of the most celebrated football players in the world. —Tom Williams, New York Times, 30 May 2025

What’s maddening is how completely unnecessary this is. —Mark Batinick, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025

But if Hereditary and Midsommar got under the skin with genuinely scary storytelling and startling imagery and Beau is Afraid was equal parts squirmy and maddening, Eddington is just annoying and empty. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2025

Even when these children and parents wound one another, Evaristo takes no sides, instead extending empathy and offering insights into what compels their sometimes maddening, sometimes relatable decisions. —Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 9 May 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