annoy

[ uh-noi ]
See synonyms for annoy on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)
  1. to disturb or bother (a person) in a way that displeases, troubles, or slightly irritates.

  2. to molest; harm.

verb (used without object)
  1. to be bothersome or troublesome.

noun
  1. Archaic. an annoyance.

Origin of annoy

1
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 )

synonym study For annoy

1. See bother, worry.

Other words for annoy

Opposites for annoy

Other words from annoy

  • an·noy·er, noun
  • half-an·noyed, adjective
  • un·an·noyed, adjective

Words that may be confused with annoy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use annoy in a sentence

  • I think that the mere fact that my hair annoys Mr. Baxter is sufficient justification for its length.

    First Plays | A. A. Milne
  • The air is oppressive with tobacco smoke; the boisterous talk of the men playing cards near by annoys me.

    Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander Berkman
  • But, dear Vyvyan, do not put on such an impertinent and indifferent manner; it annoys Sir Rollo exceedingly.

    Julian Home | Dean Frederic W. Farrar
  • It annoys me dreadfully: and yet if I take a glass of claret, I have a headache the next day!

  • It is administered in a happy-go-lucky manner, which amuses at the same time that it annoys.

    Spanish Life in Town and Country | L. Higgin and Eugne E. Street

British Dictionary definitions for annoy

annoy

/ (əˈnɔɪ) /


verb
  1. to irritate or displease

  2. to harass with repeated attacks

Origin of annoy

1
C13: from Old French anoier, from Late Latin inodiāre to make hateful, from Latin in odiō (esse) (to be) hated, from odium hatred

Derived forms of annoy

  • annoyer, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012