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
Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
But this Roundabout production at Studio 54 — the site of glittering debauchery of another era — just isn’t all that much fun, being mostly effortful, maddening and finally exhausting.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
This is the premise of The Exit 8, a Japanese video game made by Kotake Create that, as the millions who played it will attest, turns a commuter’s endless circling into a thrilling, maddening first-person-shooter minus the shooting.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maddening
Adjective
This will come as a maddening surprise to anyone who’s tried to enter a federal building without a driver’s license or a passport.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
But this Roundabout production at Studio 54 — the site of glittering debauchery of another era — just isn’t all that much fun, being mostly effortful, maddening and finally exhausting.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
Thankfully, this beautiful vista isn’t marred by maddening crowds.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
This is the premise of The Exit 8, a Japanese video game made by Kotake Create that, as the millions who played it will attest, turns a commuter’s endless circling into a thrilling, maddening first-person-shooter minus the shooting.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maddening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maddening
Adjective
-
Few things are more frustrating than a disruptive night’s sleep.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
-
This scenario deprives producers, sales agents, and distributors of global monetization opportunities across all types of films, while frustrating audiences who discover these titles but can’t watch them.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
There's also an argument to be made that this is disturbing the wildlife at the national park, which is a valid concern.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Disrupting the possibility of cheerful solitude is both a stylistic and social shift, disturbing the film’s non-narrative serenity while depicting how dismantling the safety net displaces basic functions onto those least able to bear them.—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
One of the most consistently infuriating elements of Yellowstone was how Sheridan kept positioning the Duttons — a family of land barons with immense political power and a penchant for murder — as righteous underdogs.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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In addition to infuriating those crusty Canadian fans who hate these new-fangled markets — and to be clear, that’s also a selling point — this matchup would feature each side trying to put the ghosts of past failure to rest.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Sixty-three percent of Glamour readers polled think lurking is annoying and also kind of creepy.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
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For instance, many partners have small gripes or annoyances with habits that are annoying at worst, but far from an outright red flag — like a partner that chews somewhat loudly, leaves cabinet doors open or hums constantly while working.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Winners are chosen by a mix of votes from the two, translated into points by a system confusing even to Eurovision fans.—
Jill Lawless,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
-
Clients hiring us for AI narrative work are under investor pressure to move fast, and the cost of confusing speed with substance will show up on their balance sheets.—
Kathleen Lucente,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The retailer scaled back Pride displays and rolled back DEI programs, angering its liberal customers.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
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Months later, in January 1996, pilots again released clouds of leaflets north of the island, angering Fidel Castro and his brother Raúl Castro, who was serving as Cuba's defense minister at the time.—
Hank Tester,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Driver recovery can automate what used to be an irritating manual process.—
Andrew Cunningham,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
-
No-see-um bites may be painful and irritating.—
Eva Flowe
May 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
None of the distracting political overcast stopped Hernandez from winning all three events the athlete competed in the first-round meet.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
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In this case, Swift opted to let the strands of her bow hang well past her ponytail, giving the hair accessory a veil-like quality without distracting from the rest of her look.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maddening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maddening. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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