as in frustrating
causing annoyance
after a few days, she found the monotonous work to be absolutely maddening
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in disturbing
to cause to go insane or as if insane
the endless swarms of mosquitoes all but maddened the explorers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in infuriating
to make angry
her perpetual tardiness maddened her friends to no end
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of maddening
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
The uncertainty is maddening, which somehow feels appropriate in these highly uncertain times.
—Dan Heching, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
This resulted in an ensemble of complex, often maddening characters.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maddening
Adjective
One of the most maddening parts of March Madness is predicting where the upsets will happen.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
The uncertainty is maddening, which somehow feels appropriate in these highly uncertain times.
—Dan Heching, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
Our winter season continues with Adina Hoffman (recipient of a 2013 Windham-Campbell Prize for Nonfiction) chatting with Michael Kelleher about Georges Perec’s magical and mercurial and maddening An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris, translated by Marc Lowenthal.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
This resulted in an ensemble of complex, often maddening characters.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maddening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maddening
Adjective
-
The delay has been frustrating, given that a large office-retail building in the complex is ready to open, but the facility can’t receive a certificate of occupancy from the city of Lee’s Summit until the intersection work is finished, Brown said.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Now, as a 30-something man who long since had the creativity sapped out of him by life, this was mildly frustrating at first.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Fitbits also feature silent alarms; the tracker will vibrate at a specific time and gently wake you up without disturbing others.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In March, as Sonko made his way to court to face the charges, he was arrested for disturbing public order after supporters rallied around him; his arrest sparked days of protests that resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Granular, often infuriating descriptions like that one are ultimately what make Hail Mary sing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Instead of infuriating customers at drive-thrus, the company is looking to exasperate its existing employees with the tech instead.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Plenty of would-be heroes pass through the inn on their way to save the world, and Nell is responsible for keeping the place running, serving food, and making sure all those annoying questers don’t cause too much chaos.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
As most Angelenos know, anti-aging efforts come in many annoying forms.—
Rebecca Leib,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As if that wasn’t confusing enough, not all Christians agree on what day of the calendar that specific Sunday is.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2026
-
However, following the path of Artemis II may be confusing as the astronauts, mission control and others use confusing jargon and phrases.—
ByMary Kekatos,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This causes a rift within the family, particularly angering the eldest son, Erik, who feels deeply betrayed.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The administration also decided to allow the up to 80,000 metric tons of low-tariff, lower-quality beef from Argentina to be imported to help keep grocery prices down, angering cattle ranchers who argue the decision will hurt domestic production and sales.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In both Dream Scenario and The Drama, Borgli sides with the maligned, framing those who cast judgment as shrewish and needling (exemplified in The Drama with a deliciously irritating performance from Alana Haim).—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Here's where things get a bit irritating.—
Justin Pot,
PC Magazine,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Not all Mauss’s material lends equally well to visualizations, and there are moments in the special when the animations are more distracting than additive.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The combination with the neutral dark-blue jean skirt keeps the look still feeling grown-up and not too distracting.—
Jana Ackermann,
Glamour,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maddening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maddening. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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