MADDENING Synonyms: 125 Similar and Opposite Words

maddening 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmad-niŋ

Definition of maddening

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

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

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

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

Prices remain high and the roads maddening, but few Mediterranean islands offer so many convincing ways to reach sunrise. — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for maddening

Recent Examples of Synonyms for maddening

Adjective

Make no mistake, Sweeney inherits a talented but frustrating team.

— Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Frustrating process to get assistance However, the new program will not launch until December, and some residents say a lack of clarity surrounding the assistance has made navigating the process frustrating.

— Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of frustrating

Verb

How the storm drain will be repaired Rather than digging up the entire pipe and disturbing residents’ yards, crews plan to install a new lining inside the existing pipe.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
On vehicles with a dedicated secondary passenger display, front passengers can browse, view lyrics, and watch video content without disturbing the driver.

— Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 21 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

McCartney said of his note to Mendes about the height imbalance, wondering how the director will rectify this annoying, historic aberration.

— Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Something in your routine, schedule, or workload may feel disproportionately annoying or demanding, especially if too many little things pile up at once.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of annoying

Verb

Bill Belichick has made a Hall of Fame career on confusing young quarterbacks.

— Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of confusing

Verb

Raising taxes and reducing government spending are part of a potential solution, but those would be politically unpopular decisions that could risk further angering an already livid public.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
South Korea has accused Ukraine of violating a nondisclosure agreement, but Ukraine denies the countries reached such a deal, further angering Seoul.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of angering

Adjective

But for this initial step, Pierre tells mature patients to find a formula that’s gentle, non-irritating, and—if needed—able to remove makeup.

— Jenny Berg, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026
The cold temperature will slow down the enzymes and ease the irritating effects.

— Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of irritating

Verb

As a result, your mind is always searching for the next project to tackle or problem to solve, distracting you while hanging out with family or keeping you from sleeping.

— Melody Wilding, Contributor, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
The compelling series achieves a provocative dissection of it all with rare confidence without the overindulgence of distracting CGI tossed in for sheer spectacle.

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of distracting

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“Maddening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maddening. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of maddening

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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