Maddening — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈmad-niŋ/ mad·den·ing

Meaning & Definition of Maddening

Maddening (adjective)

  1. tending to disturb or drive mad
  2. tending to infuriate
  3. tending to vex, irritating

Maddening (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing annoyance

    "after a few days, she found the monotonous work to be absolutely maddening"

    similar: abrasive, aggravating, annoying, bothersome, carking, chafing, disturbing, exasperating, frustrating, galling, irksome, irritating, nettlesome, nettling, peeving, pesky, pestiferous, pestilent, pestilential, pesty, plaguey, rankling, rebarbative, riling, vexatious, vexing
    related: burdensome, discomforting, displeasing, disquieting, distressing, importunate, importune, inconveniencing, angering, enraging, infuriating, brattish, bratty, mischievous, offensive, troublesome, upsetting, distractive, painful, stressful, tiresome, troubling, trying, worrisome, biting, grating, jangling, jarring, spiny, thorny
    near: delightful, pleasing

Maddening (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause to go insane or as if insane

    "the endless swarms of mosquitoes all but maddened the explorers"

    similar: cracking, crazing, deranging, frenzying, locoing, unbalancing, unhinging, unstringing
    related: agitating, bothering, confusing, discomposing, disquieting, distracting, disturbing, perturbing, unsettling, upsetting, annoying, irritating, vexing
    near: calming, quieting, relaxing, settling, soothing, tranquilizing

  2. to make angry

    "her perpetual tardiness maddened her friends to no end"

    similar: angering, enraging, incensing, inflaming, infuriating, iring, madding, outraging, rankling, riling, roiling, steaming up, ticking off, getting one's goat, rubbing the wrong way
    related: affronting, aggravating, annoying, burning (up), crossing, exasperating, getting, huffing, irritating, miffing, nettling, offending, peeving, piquing, provoking, putting out, ruffling, vexing, antagonizing, embittering, envenoming
    opposite: delighting, gratifying, pleasing
    near: allaying, assuaging, relieving, comforting, consoling, soothing, appeasing, conciliating, mollifying, pacifying, placating, calming, lulling, quieting, settling, beguiling, bewitching, captivating, charming, disarming, enchanting

Related Entry: Madden (verb)

Madden is a different word from Maddening. The synonyms below are for madden, not for maddening.

  1. to cause to go insane or as if insane

    "the endless swarms of mosquitoes all but maddened the explorers"

    similar: crack, craze, derange, frenzy, loco, unbalance, unhinge, unstring
    related: agitate, bother, confuse, discompose, disquiet, distract, disturb, perturb, unsettle, upset, annoy, irritate, vex
    near: calm, quiet, relax, settle, soothe, tranquilize

  2. to make angry

    "her perpetual tardiness maddened her friends to no end"

    similar: anger, enrage, incense, inflame, infuriate, ire, mad, outrage, rankle, rile, roil, steam up, tick off, get one's goat, rub the wrong way
    related: affront, aggravate, annoy, burn (up), cross, exasperate, get, huff, irritate, miff, nettle, offend, peeve, pique, provoke, put out, ruffle, vex, antagonize, embitter, envenom
    opposite: delight, gratify, please
    near: allay, assuage, relieve, comfort, console, soothe, appease, conciliate, mollify, pacify, placate, calm, lull, quiet, settle, beguile, bewitch, captivate, charm, disarm, enchant

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Maddening

The most common words with a similar meaning to Maddening:

abrasive, aggravating, annoying, bothersome, carking, chafing, disturbing, exasperating, frustrating, galling, irksome, irritating, nettlesome, nettling, peeving, pesky, pestiferous, pestilent, pestilential, pesty, plaguey, rankling, rebarbative, riling, vexatious, vexing, cracking, crazing, deranging, frenzying, locoing, unbalancing, unhinging, unstringing, angering, enraging, incensing, inflaming, infuriating, iring

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Maddening

Words with the opposite meaning of Maddening:

delighting, gratifying, pleasing

Related Words for Maddening

burdensome, discomforting, displeasing, disquieting, distressing, importunate, importune, inconveniencing, brattish, bratty, mischievous, offensive, troublesome, upsetting, distractive, painful, stressful, tiresome, troubling, trying, worrisome, biting, grating, jangling, jarring, spiny, thorny, agitating, bothering, confusing

Near Antonyms of Maddening

delightful, calming, quieting, relaxing, settling, soothing, tranquilizing, allaying, assuaging, relieving, comforting, consoling, appeasing, conciliating, mollifying, pacifying, placating, lulling, beguiling, bewitching, captivating, charming, disarming, enchanting

Word Forms of Maddening

Derived words: maddeningly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Maddening

First known use: circa 1743

Frequently Asked Questions about Maddening

What does "Maddening" mean?

"Maddening" means tending to disturb or drive mad. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: tending to disturb or drive mad. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Maddening"?

Other words for "Maddening" include abrasive, aggravating, annoying, bothersome, carking, chafing, disturbing and exasperating. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Maddening" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Maddening"?

There are 95 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Maddening". Common alternatives include abrasive, aggravating, annoying, bothersome, carking, chafing, disturbing, exasperating, frustrating and galling.

What is the opposite of "Maddening"?

Antonyms of "Maddening" include delighting, gratifying and pleasing. Near antonyms include delightful, calming, quieting and relaxing.

How do you use "Maddening" in a sentence?

Examples of "Maddening" in a sentence: "after a few days, she found the monotonous work to be absolutely maddening"; "the endless swarms of mosquitoes all but maddened the explorers"; "her perpetual tardiness maddened her friends to no end".

Is "Maddening" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Maddening" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Maddening"?

"Maddening" is pronounced /ˈmad-niŋ/ and divided into syllables as mad·den·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Maddening"?

First known use: circa 1743.