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maddening 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmad-niŋ How to pronounce maddening (audio)
Definition of maddeningnext
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

maddening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of madden
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of maddening
Adjective
Her fitful vocals capture the chaos of love, the maddening ability of a partner to absolutely wreck a mind or heal it. — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 7 Aug. 2026 More than enough time for the Rangers to finish a maddening third. — Mac Engel july 31, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Aug. 2026
Verb
Sure, the mandatory hydration breaks added for all games (including those in domed stadiums with air conditioning) and a first-ever halftime show in the final were maddening for the soccer purists. — Jasmine Garsd, NPR, 20 July 2026 The sound is not just big and bold, but scrubbed clean by AI with the goal of maddening perfection. — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for maddening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maddening
  1. frustrating
  2. disturbing
  3. infuriating
  4. annoying
  5. confusing
  6. angering
  7. irritating
  8. distracting
Adjective
  • For general appreciators, the series’ excesses and redundancies are likely to be frustrating, as are its frequent lack of focus and general sense of over-sanitization.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Indeed, Infiniti’s wide-eyed portrait of a prodigy is equal parts inspired and frustrating.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of frustrating
Verb
  • Challenges and solutions A major challenge for the researchers working with a quantum system is to get the signal out of the system without disturbing its fragile state.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Food companies are trying to find ways to make products healthier or more affordable by changing ingredients without disturbing familiar textures.
    — Dee-Ann Durbin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Verb
  • But maybe that low point and the unexpected departure of Stokes and the return of Joe Root as Test captain ahead of the white-ball skipper has proved a turning point for one of the most gifted but infuriating batters of his generation.
    — Paul Newman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • There are a variety of reasons for this — from reasonable to infuriating — why those who paid higher prices won’t be getting refunds.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of infuriating
Adjective
  • Yes, some of those fans are incredibly annoying—and some of those people aren’t even fans.
    — Corey Seymour, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Would Berman, then 49 years old, care about the project, or would the superstar personality treat it as an annoying burden thrust on him by his employer’s media arrangement?
    — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • Dirty glass, confusing backing liners and difficulty repositioning the film were among the most common frustrations.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Then began the desperate, confusing search for their colleagues.
    — Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • Rebecca regrets angering Matthijs (Matteo van der Grijn) after putting his daughter in the middle of a heated discussion around the possibility of Matthijs moving to London.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Two go-their-own-way Democrats bucked the party on a routine procedural vote, angering colleagues and raising a red flag about potential party divisions to come.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of angering
Adjective
  • Both can get the job done, but chemical exfoliants may be too irritating for those with sensitive skin or excessively dry scalps.
    — Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Despite its splashy unveiling, Project Zenith is more about making the OS less irritating for developers than adding any groundbreaking capabilities.
    — Chris Hoffman, PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • The tale of any historical figure is also one of time and place, but despite these looming ideas, the film’s particular unspooling has a distracting quality.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Suppressing tics as treatment Suppressing tics can be distracting and exhausting, yet decades of research has shown that tic suppression can be strengthened and used therapeutically.
    — Michael Okun, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of distracting

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maddening
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Cite this Entry

“Maddening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maddening. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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