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| an·noy [ ə nóy ] (past and past participle an·noyed, present participle an·noy·ing, 3rd person present singular an·noys) |
verb |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive verb irritate somebody: to make somebody feel impatient or mildly angry
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2. transitive verb harass somebody: to harass somebody repeatedly
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3. intransitive verb be irritating: to be a source of irritation
 Barking dogs are bound to annoy.
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| [13th century. Via Old French anoier< late Latin inodiare "make loathsome" < Latin in odio "in hatred"] |
| Word Key: Synonyms |
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annoy, irritate, exasperate, vex, irk
CORE MEANING: to cause a mild degree of anger in somebody
annoy to make somebody feel impatient or mildly angry;
His constant complaining annoys everyone.
We're annoyed that no-one told us how long the alterations would take.
irritate to annoy somebody slightly;
The loud humming quickly started to irritate her.
We were irritated to find that everyone had left early.
exasperate to make somebody angry or frustrated, often by repeatedly doing something annoying;
The frequent breakdowns and delays exasperated even loyal customers.
We soon became exasperated with his laziness and excuses.
vex to make somebody slightly annoyed or upset, especially over a relatively unimportant matter;
The mistake vexed him but did not worry him unduly.
It vexed her that she had almost wanted to laugh at his remark.
irk to annoy somebody slightly by being tiresome or tedious;
What irked her more than anything else was that Jo was probably right.
He also irked his colleagues with frequent TV appearances and public pronouncements. |
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