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maddening

adjective
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mad·​den·​ing | \ ˈmad-niŋ How to pronounce maddening (audio) , ˈma-dᵊn-iŋ \

Definition of maddening

1 : tending to craze
2a : tending to infuriate
b : tending to vex : irritating
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Other Words from maddening

maddeningly \ ˈmad-​niŋ-​lē How to pronounce maddeningly (audio) , ˈma-​dᵊn-​iŋ-​ \ adverb

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 Promise and Peril of Fast-Tracking Coronavirus Vaccine Development Frantic efforts to bring coronavirus vaccines to the world are facing a maddening bottleneck: the small glass vials that hold the shots. — Drew Hinshaw, WSJ, "Coronavirus Vaccine Makers Are Hunting for Vital Equipment: Glass Vials," 16 June 2020 Much about how the new coronavirus spreads from one victim to the next remains a maddening mystery. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Most COVID cases don’t spread virus—it’s the superspreaders we need to stop," 12 June 2020 In a maddening twist, there's zero post-date scroll informing us of the new couple's current status. — Ruth Kinane, EW.com, "Here's what you need to know about Netflix's Dating Around ahead of season 2," 11 June 2020 Understanding a bear market, especially for those who haven't experienced one before, can be maddening. — Erik Sherman, Fortune, "‘The common theme is fear and panic’: These are the lessons learned from the last three bear markets," 27 Mar. 2020 Physical distancing, from the garage to the elevator to the break room, promises to help make the pending mass return to the workplace both reassuring and maddening as people learn to work together again while remaining six feet apart. — Roger Vincentstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "Someday we’ll return to the office. It’ll be nothing like we’ve seen before," 8 May 2020 To bear witness to an epidemic twice is a frustrating and maddening thing. — Ryan Kost, SFChronicle.com, "They survived one plague. Now HIV/AIDS survivors face down the coronavirus," 10 Apr. 2020 The slow comeback is maddening, said Geodge, who coordinates telecommunications field technicians. — Freep.com, "In Michigan, 22K are ‘recovered’ from COVID. Many still feel like hell," 10 May 2020 Maintaining a sourdough starter can be maddening, and producing an intricately scored, crusty loaf of bread is a days-long, painstaking process. — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appétit, "You Can Stop Googling "Sourdough Discard Projects" Now," 30 Apr. 2020

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

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First Known Use of maddening

circa 1743, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Time Traveler for maddening

Time Traveler

The first known use of maddening was circa 1743

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Last Updated

30 Jun 2020

Cite this Entry

“Maddening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maddening. Accessed 7 Jul. 2020.

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More Definitions for maddening

maddening

adjective
How to pronounce maddening (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of maddening

: very annoying

See the full definition for maddening in the English Language Learners Dictionary

maddening

adjective
mad·​den·​ing | \ ˈma-dᵊn-iŋ \

Kids Definition of maddening

: very annoying Her constant chatter is maddening.

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More from Merriam-Webster on maddening

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for maddening

Spanish Central: Translation of maddening

Nglish: Translation of maddening for Spanish Speakers

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