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

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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
For the visitors, the productivity was a maddening mirror image. — Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026 Read more about the maddening limbo some patients have found themselves in while trying to get the first major pancreatic cancer breakthrough in decades. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 8 Sep. 2026
Verb
Though Larwood was bowling to a conventional field at the time, Jardine immediately switched to a bodyline field, further maddening the audience. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026 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 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
  • Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel didn’t shy away from discussing his job security Thursday amid a frustrating 0-5 start to the season.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Wednesday's rain made for a frustrating day for hundreds of travelers at Denver International Airport, including some football fans arriving for Thursday night's Broncos game.
    — Tori Mason, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of frustrating
Verb
  • Furthermore, the use of economic arguments to justify oppression has disturbing historical precedent.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Police Chief Paul Joseph said at a press conference on Tuesday that Lieu had a criminal history involving firearms and disturbing behavior.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Verb
  • Cummings said that in January 2021, a friend of Birchmore’s called Stoughton police and told a dispatcher about the illicit relationship, infuriating Farwell.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 9 Oct. 2026
  • His laserlike focus on the particulars of the story doesn’t leave much room for extrapolation; even the infuriating case of bureaucratic overreach that the film depicts can easily be understood, and perhaps even defended, as an aberration.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of infuriating
Adjective
  • In Atrahasis, noisy humans become annoying to the gods, so the gods drown them.
    — Eric Vanden Eykel, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
  • There's a lot to love about this Lego Icons Project Hail Mary set, including the lack of annoying stickers.
    — Chris McMullen, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • The crowd even includes Sam, who has a fun moment catching up with Roy and confusing him with an observation that sounds like it was inspired by The Wizard of Oz.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Apples and oranges But some note that investors may be confusing activity numbers that aren't exactly comparable.
    — Ananya Chetia,Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • The widespread use of arrests, tear gas and riot-control weapons against teenagers is fueling defiance and angering some parents and teachers.
    — NICOLAS GARRIGA, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Spain is hard-hit due to small rental market The housing crunch has been simmering for years in Spain, eating into household budgets and angering voters.
    — Joseph Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of angering
Adjective
  • For home-office equipment, networking hardware, 3D printers, and other devices where unexpected shutdowns are costly or irritating, the Elite 300 can serve a dual purpose rather than sit unused until the next blackout.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
  • That tiny gesture may explain why secret copying can feel especially irritating.
    — Alesandra Dubin, Glamour, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • Today’s computers are approachable, but also distracting, argues Caligra co-founder and CEO Grant Bisset.
    — Daniel Varghese, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Maybe his conning can be curtailed someday, but the thought there’d ever be enough distracting chaos for a similarly lengthy follow-up is almost too much to bear.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 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 19 Oct. 2026.

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