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

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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
Parva, meanwhile, bundles its continuous monitoring platform with lab coordination and the maddening work of finding the right specialist. — Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Sugar’s purpose in this earthly life — to reunite lost families in the City of Angels — is crumbling under the maddening impossibility of convicting a policeman of a crime in a world where the crime is the point. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 24 July 2026
Verb
This could be maddening for a producer. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026 The way the Padres screw around this time of year is maddening. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 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
  • McCaskill said the frequent outages are frustrating, especially during the high temperatures this summer.
    — Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Since then, a tarp has covered the area where the letters were once installed, frustrating those who sought to the remove the president's name from the building.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustrating
Verb
  • Tian took the photo during his biodiversity research on the seaway, using environmental DNA sampling and drone surveys to monitor the ecosystem’s health, without disturbing any of the resident wildlife.
    — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026
  • All three will face a slew of charges, including injuring or removing a tomb or monument, disturbing the contents of a grave or tomb and grand theft, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday.
    — Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Verb
  • Despite his rakish lifestyle, Don Juan falls in love with innocent Adriana, infuriating the envious Lucrezia Borgia (Estelle Taylor), who plots to ruin the young lovers’ nascent romance.
    — Air Mail, Air Mail, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Speaking to them on the phone is infuriating since most of the conversation is about what’s going on with Kaden.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
Definition of infuriating
Adjective
  • The best mascaras for older women help coat lashes with color while addressing the annoying issues that come with age.
    — Micaela English, Glamour, 14 Aug. 2026
  • First, dust the surface to eliminate any annoying dust and dirt particles.
    — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • The light entering my eyes would bend at two different angles, confusing my brain and making my vision a little blurry.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Bringing in extra mythology wouldn’t make the confusing parts any less confusing, and would just confuse the parts that aren’t confusing at all.
    — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • The combined Academy was first based in New York, but then moved out west — angering the folks in Gotham.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich faces a fight for political survival in elections in October after angering his fellow West Bank settlers by voting not to punish ultra-Orthodox Jews who refuse to serve in the military.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of angering
Adjective
  • The larger battery gives it the sort of range that makes an EV genuinely useful for long-distance driving, while the interior avoids some of the irritating touchscreen-heavy trends found elsewhere.
    — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Sabalenka double-faulted on match point, her seventh double fault of the day, to put an exclamation point on an irritating evening.
    — Lukas Weese, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • Women were made to feel that their bodies were somehow offensive, distracting, or inconvenient.
    — Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Now, a cross-sectional study based on a registry of fatal US motor vehicle crashes has found that the love of her albums may have even contributed a statistically significant bump in deadly traffic accidents, presumably by distracting drivers.
    — Mike McRae August 18, New Atlas, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of distracting

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Cite this Entry

“Maddening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maddening. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of maddening for Spanish Speakers

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