annoy

verb

an·​noy ə-ˈnȯi 

annoyed; annoying; annoys

transitive verb

1

: to disturb or irritate especially by repeated acts

annoyed the neighbors with their loud arguments

2

: to harass especially by quick brief attacks

intransitive verb

: to cause annoyance

annoyer noun

Synonyms

• irritate
• bother
• persecute
• bug
• aggravate

Choose the Right Synonym for annoy

annoy, vex, irk, bother mean to upset a person's composure.

annoy implies a wearing on the nerves by persistent petty unpleasantness.

their constant complaining annoys us

vex implies greater provocation and stronger disturbance and usually connotes anger but sometimes perplexity or anxiety.

vexed by her son's failure to clean his room

irk stresses difficulty in enduring and the resulting weariness or impatience of spirit.

careless waste irks the boss

bother suggests interference with comfort or peace of mind.

don't bother me while I'm reading

synonyms see in addition worry

Examples of annoy in a Sentence

deliberately annoyed the elderly neighbor by walking across his lawn

Recent Examples on the Web

Francie instantly annoys Nat by kissing Pete hello, and the two women start yelling at each other immediately. —Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 27 June 2025

If visible bulbs and cables annoy you, these aren’t for you. —Simon Hill, Wired News, 26 June 2025

Netanyahu has even annoyed Trump, although their relationship trends toward mutual lavish praise. —Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 22 June 2025

According to longtime baseball reporter Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe, Devers annoyed the team by largely refusing to do postgame interviews with television broadcasters or other media — not even with the Red Sox's own cable network, NESN. —Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English anoien, from Anglo-French anuier, ennoier, from Late Latin inodiare to make loathsome, from Latin in + odium hatred — more at odium

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for annoy

• ahoy
• alloy
• carboy
• convoy
• cowboy
• decoy
• deploy
• destroy
• employ
• employe
• enjoy
• kilroy

Kids Definition

annoy

verb

an·​noy ə-ˈnȯi 

: to disturb or irritate especially by repeated acts : vex

annoyer noun