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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of maddening
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
One of the most maddening parts of March Madness is predicting where the upsets will happen.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Our winter season continues with Adina Hoffman (recipient of a 2013 Windham-Campbell Prize for Nonfiction) chatting with Michael Kelleher about Georges Perec’s magical and mercurial and maddening An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris, translated by Marc Lowenthal.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maddening
Adjective
There’s a maddening human truth tucked into the fact that everyone — from Lebedev’s forceful, hopeful young daughter Sasha (Maya Shoham) to the lout Borkin, whom Labbadia embodies irresistibly as a kind of Bronx-y hustler — is drawn to this man in free fall.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
One of the most maddening parts of March Madness is predicting where the upsets will happen.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
But of all the strange and maddening messages posted around this city, there was one particular type of billboard that the people of San Francisco couldn’t bear.
—Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Our winter season continues with Adina Hoffman (recipient of a 2013 Windham-Campbell Prize for Nonfiction) chatting with Michael Kelleher about Georges Perec’s magical and mercurial and maddening An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris, translated by Marc Lowenthal.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maddening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maddening
Adjective
-
Five baserunners and two homers later, the Tigers had a 5-1 lead en route to another frustrating start for Crochet in what’s been a season-long trend for the rotation.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Though Sunday did mark some level of improvement after last Monday’s catastrophe, Crochet acknowledged that this outing was even more frustrating.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then jurors heard disturbing sounds of banging — and choking, according to the Star-Telegram.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
And inside the actual pillow, there are only those air sacs, which inflate and deflate to slightly change pressure points throughout the night – silently and without disturbing your slumber, or anyone else's.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The gap between what Greg and I did—and, more importantly, thought about—became a gigantic infuriating cavern for me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
-
In San Francisco, a Waymo vehicle struck and killed a bodega cat in the city’s Mission District last fall, infuriating residents.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Go to Paris and be with your annoying bohemian friends!—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
-
And every family has that annoying uncle that makes horrible jokes or one situation after another.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But Neptune also blurs lines, which is why its influence can feel mysterious or even confusing at times.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
-
That’s not all that’s confusing across the first season.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Mamdani’s also done an about-face on the city’s rental assistance program, CityFHEPs, angering progressive allies.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
This causes a rift within the family, particularly angering the eldest son, Erik, who feels deeply betrayed.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In both Dream Scenario and The Drama, Borgli sides with the maligned, framing those who cast judgment as shrewish and needling (exemplified in The Drama with a deliciously irritating performance from Alana Haim).—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Here's where things get a bit irritating.—
Justin Pot,
PC Magazine,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Perhaps his most notable friendship is with loyal longtime bodyguard Bill Bray (Keilyn Durrel Jones) and, to a lesser extent, his savvy manager John Branca (Miles Teller in a distracting wig).—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
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Punk was taking off the tape from his hands and threw it onto the ring, distracting the referee enough to hit Reigns with a low blow.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maddening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maddening. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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