annoy

annoy — verb

1. to cause someone to feel slightly angry or impatient, often by doing something r

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to cause someone to feel slightly angry or impatient, often by doing something repeatedly or in a way that bothers them.

Example

Vesna tapped his pen on the desk, which really annoyed his sister during the test.

annoy + somebody (with a repeated action as cause)

It annoys me when people talk loudly on the train.

it annoys me when + clause

Common collocations
  • annoy somebody
  • it annoys me when
  • intensely annoy
  • really annoy
  • deeply annoy
  • annoy the hell out of someone
Synonyms
  • irritate

    very close in meaning; slightly more about a sharp, scratchy feeling

  • bother

    softer and more general; can mean simply 'disturb'

  • bug

    informal; common in spoken English

  • aggravate

    stronger and often used when something already bad gets worse

Antonyms
  • please

    to make someone feel happy or satisfied

  • soothe

    to make someone feel calmer, especially when upset

Grammar Patterns

annoy + somebody

it annoys somebody when/that ...

be annoyed by/with somebody

Usage Note

Often passive ('be annoyed by/with'). 'Annoyed with' takes a person; 'annoyed by/at' takes a thing or action. Weaker than 'anger' or 'infuriate'; the feeling is mild and usually temporary.

Common Mistakes

I am annoying with my brother.
I am annoyed with my brother.
the person feeling the emotion uses '-ed'; '-ing' describes the cause.
She annoys from the noise.
She is annoyed by the noise.
use the passive 'be annoyed by' for the cause, not 'annoy from'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five verbs describe causing mild negative feelings, but they differ in strength and tone. 'Annoy' is the everyday neutral choice for a small, temporary anger — a buzzing fly, a slow website. 'Irritate' is very close but suggests a sharper, scratchier feeling, like rubbing the wrong way. 'Bother' is the softest and broadest; it can simply mean 'disturb' without real anger ('Sorry to bother you'). 'Bug' is informal and common in speech ('Stop bugging me'). 'Aggravate' is stronger and is often used when an already bad situation becomes worse, such as making an injury or argument worse. Compare: 'The noise annoyed her' (mild), 'Don't bug me right now' (casual), and 'His comments only aggravated the dispute' (made it worse).

annoy ↗irritate ↗bother ↗bug ↗aggravate

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • it annoys me when ...
  • what annoys me most is ...
  • annoy the hell out of someone

Prepositions

  • annoyed with (somebody)
  • annoyed by (something)
  • annoyed at (something)
  • annoyed about (a situation)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

'Annoy' came into English in the 13th century from Old French 'anoier' meaning 'to weary, vex, harm'. That French verb came in turn from a Latin phrase 'in odio' (literally 'in hatred'), which appeared in expressions like 'mihi in odio est' meaning 'it is hateful to me'. Over centuries the meaning softened from 'cause real harm or hatred' to today's much milder sense of 'mildly irritate'.