annoy

American  

[uh-noi] / əˈnɔɪ /

verb (used with object)

1. to disturb or bother (a person) in a way that displeases, troubles, or slightly irritates.

   Synonyms:

   pester, harass

   Antonyms:

   soothe, calm, comfort

2. to molest; harm.

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verb (used without object)

1. to be bothersome or troublesome.

noun

1. Archaic. an annoyance.

annoy British  

/ əˈnɔɪ /

verb

1. to irritate or displease

2. to harass with repeated attacks

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Usage

What does annoy mean? Annoy means to bother or irritate. The word implies that the resulting irritation does not rise to the level of serious harm or a major problem—even if someone or something annoys you very much. People usually annoy through some kind of irritating and unwanted behavior (especially when it’s repeated), such as chewing too loudly or asking you the same question over and over again. Things that annoy are often those that distract, interrupt, or intrude on what you’re trying to do, like a noise that keeps waking you up when you’re trying to fall asleep or a pop-up ad. Someone who is bothered in this way can be described as annoyed. Someone or something that annoys you can be described as annoying. Someone or something that annoys you can be called an annoyance. Less commonly, annoy means to harass. In this case, the results are more serious than the more common meaning of annoy. Example: Mom, Jeff is trying to annoy me again! He keeps humming!

Related Words

See bother, worry.

Other Word Forms

• annoyer noun
• half-annoyed adjective
• unannoyed adjective

Etymology

Origin of annoy

First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the verb) Middle English an(n)oien, enoien, from Anglo-French, Old French anoier, anuier “to molest, harm, tire,” from Late Latin inodiāre “to cause aversion,” from Latin phrase (mihi) in odiō (est) “I dislike,” literally, “(it is) in hate (to me)”; cf. in- ², odium; (for the noun) Middle English a(n)noi, ennoi, from Anglo-French, Old French a(n)nui, enui, derivative of the verb ( cf. ennui ( def. ))

Explanation

The verb annoy means to bother or irritate. Your habit of constantly talking about your cats might annoy your friends more than you realize. When you annoy someone, you really rub them the wrong way. Often, the things that annoy people the most are those that are repeated again and again, like your habit of snorting every time you laugh or the screeching sound that your dishwasher makes day after day. Although the word annoy comes from the Latin phrase esse in odio, "it is hateful to me," its meaning now is less "hateful" and more "bothersome."

Example Sentences

Another reason Tokyo can ill afford to annoy Trump is that the United States has for decades -- with 60,000 troops on Japanese soil -- been the guarantor of Japan's security.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

The situation appeared to annoy the judge overseeing the case, Arun Subramanian, after he learned that Live Nation and the Justice Department had signed their deal last Thursday.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

This will annoy people who think everything important happens in Silicon Valley.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 9, 2025

The Blue Jays can’t promise they will hit Yamamoto, but one thing is certain: They will do their best to annoy him.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 25, 2025

Her uncle could annoy the hell out of her when he chose, apparently he was choosing to do so now, and she resented it.

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee

Related Words

• agitate
• bore
• bother
• displease
• disturb
• exasperate
• fire up
• gall
• irk
• peeve
• perturb
• rile
• trouble
• turn off
• vex
• worry