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View synonyms for annoy

annoy

[ uh-noi ]

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.


verb (used without object)

  1. to be bothersome or troublesome.

noun

  1. Archaic. an annoyance.

annoy

/ əˈnɔɪ /

verb

  1. to irritate or displease
  2. to harass with repeated attacks


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Derived Forms

  • anˈnoyer, noun

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Other Words From

  • an·noyer noun
  • half-an·noyed adjective
  • unan·noyed adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of annoy1

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)”; 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 ( ennui ( def ) )

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Word History and Origins

Origin of annoy1

C13: from Old French anoier, from Late Latin inodiāre to make hateful, from Latin in odiō ( esse ) (to be) hated, from odium hatred

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Synonym Study

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Example Sentences

It almost makes you wonder if Lizard Squad did this just to annoy Anonymous and the other earnest champions of privacy.

[A]s he climbs the political ladder, he seems destined to annoy some more people along the way.

“Because it will be least in a capacity to annoy or injure,” he wrote in his Federalist 78 paper.

It was a good and realistic response, but one likely to annoy the conservative base.

And in a Republican primary that so far has been woefully message-challenged, "annoy the media" may not sound half bad.

Many will be shamed into apology, who would annoy you for hours, if you encouraged them by acts of rudeness on your own part.

Something had happened to disappoint and annoy them—that much he could gather from their gestures and impassioned speech.

You will probably cause utter confusion in the set, annoy the others forming it, and make yourself appear absurd.

There is a distinction also between acts that annoy and those that injure adjoining property.

They don't know when to stop talking about it, they really annoy one with extravagant praises of them.

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anno urbis conditaeannoyance