maddening

[ mad-n-ing ]

adjective

1. driving to madness or frenzy:

   a maddening thirst.

2. infuriating or exasperating:

   his maddening indifference to my pleas.

3. raging; furious:

   a maddening wind.

ˈmaddening

/ ˈmædənɪŋ /

adjective

1. serving to send mad
2. extremely annoying; exasperating

Derived Forms

• ˈmaddeningly, adverb
• ˈmaddeningness, noun

Other Words From

• madden·ing·ly adverb
• madden·ing·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of maddening¹

First recorded in 1735–45; madden + -ing ²

Example Sentences

One first that would involve only a short bus ride has maddeningly eluded him.

From Los Angeles Times

"I think that has continued to just come back up over and over and over again. It does not have to be this way, and it is beyond maddening."

From Salon

A maddening combination of good intentions and self-destructive tendencies — accommodating sensitivity and unforgivable pettiness — Vicente has a sharp mind for math, physics and astronomy that he loves sharing with his daughters.

From Los Angeles Times

It was a maddening journey but I learned a lot.

From Los Angeles Times

As one reader put it, camping is “the quintessential escape from the maddening machinations of our urban quotidien.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aggravating
• annoying
• exasperating
• frustrating
• infuriating
• troubling