maddening

1 of 2

adjective

mad·​den·​ing ˈmad-niŋ How to pronounce maddening (audio)
ˈma-dᵊn-iŋ
Synonyms of maddeningnext
1
: tending to disturb or drive mad
2
a
: tending to infuriate
b
: tending to vex : irritating
maddeningly
ˈmad-niŋ-lē How to pronounce maddening (audio)
ˈma-dᵊn-iŋ-
adverb

maddening

2 of 2

present participle of madden

Synonyms of maddening

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Adjective

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Examples of maddening in a Sentence

Adjective He has a maddening habit of interrupting other people. She shows a maddening inability to control her children.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The Smith experience is always going to be a roller coaster, impressive feats of accuracy and arm talent mixed with desperation heaves and maddening turnovers. — Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026 The sequence was the boiling point of a maddening, inexplicable few days in Minnesota. — Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 19 Aug. 2026 The same applied to the maddening visual tests—find the traffic lights, the crosswalks, the bicycles, and teach computers to see better. — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Her fitful vocals capture the chaos of love, the maddening ability of a partner to absolutely wreck a mind or heal it. — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for maddening

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1743, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of maddening was circa 1743

Rhymes for maddening

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Browse Nearby Words

madden
maddening
madder
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Cite this Entry

“Maddening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maddening. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

maddening

adjective
mad·​den·​ing
ˈmad-niŋ, 
-ᵊn-iŋ
: that irritates or angers
a maddening habit
maddeningly adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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