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

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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
This is all the more maddening in Milwaukee because, in 2008, the Brewers tried their best. — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 2 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
  • At this point in the draft, every RB has questions, but volume remains king, and Harvey could be in a frustrating battle for touches all season.
    — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Bohm’s Phillies career has been sometimes frustrating, sometimes exciting, sometimes perplexing.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustrating
Verb
  • The relative rarity and disturbing nature of these cases are part of what attracts so much attention, said Michelle Oberman, a law professor at Santa Clara University who has studied and written about women who kill their children.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But after a series of disturbing events begins occurring around town, including the arrival of a mysterious stranger, Madeline, Celeste, Renata, Jane and Bonnie must grapple with the weight of their past secrets, a synopsis reads.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 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
  • Adults’s Gen-Z characters tend to see their comforts as transient, their identities as mutable, and seriousness as an annoying obligation, all of which the second season pokes at a bit.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Fluctuating estrogen levels can disrupt the nerves responsible for your sense of scent, leading to this symptom that’s equally bizarre and annoying.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • Then began the desperate, confusing search for their colleagues.
    — Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Summary Founders frequently misjudge their business's worth, often confusing revenue with actual value.
    — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • Still, in a great credit to their organization, the Kansas City Chiefs stuck by him while others may have immediately cut him to avoid angering the sports media mob.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • On the second day of the Test, Woodfull was hit over the heart by Larwood, angering the 50,000-strong partisan crowd.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of angering
Adjective
  • His irritating habit of starting each meeting with the ping of a bell reinforces his personality.
    — Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • The distracting Diwali fireworks distracted led to reshoots of the pivotal moment.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Not only are these sheer curtains over half off right now, but the subtle stripe adds just enough visual interest without distracting from your room’s overall design scheme.
    — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 26 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 31 Aug. 2026.

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