Annoyed describes a feeling of slight irritation or displeasure, often resulting from a minor annoyance or obstruction. It implies a passive, lingering state rather than a sudden outburst. The term signals a clipped, controlled mood and is commonly used in everyday conversation to convey discomfort without overt anger.
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"She was annoyed by the constant interruptions during her work."
"He sounded annoyed when the meeting ran late and he had to stay."
"I’m a bit annoyed that my keys were left in the door again."
"They were annoyed with the delay but managed to stay calm and focused."
Annoyed comes from the Middle English annoyen, which itself derives from the Old French anoner, meaning to disturb or to threaten. The English term adapted the sense of causing trouble or irritation over time, evolving through legal and social language to imply displeasure rather than direct harm. By the 16th century, annoyen had shifted in meaning toward emotional disturbance and irritation, with spelling stabilizing as annoyed in Early Modern English. The modern verb-annoyed form aligns with common English suffixation patterns (-ed) for past or adjective forms, reflecting a state resulting from a cause (an annoyance). The root ideas trace through Latin-based confusion and obstruction concepts, with later usage broadening to describe subjective emotional responses to repetitive irritants in daily life. First known written uses appear in English dramas and prose where characters describe minor provocations that create a simmering or tense mood, rather than a blow-by-blow act of anger. Overall, annoyed summarizes a mild negative affect in reaction to nuisances, rather than an external action directed at a person or object.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "annoyed" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "annoyed"
-yed sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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PRON: ə-NOYD. Stress on the second syllable. The first syllable is unstressed, with a schwa /ə/ sound; the second syllable contains the diphthong /ɔɪ/ as in 'boy' or 'noise', ending with /d/. You should voice the /d/ closure clearly, especially in careful speech. IPA: US/UK/AU: əˈnɔɪd.
Two frequent errors: (1) Treating the second syllable as a pure long ‘oh’ /oʊ/ instead of the /ɔɪ/ diphthong. (2) De-emphasizing the final /d/ or making it a soft, voiced-tap. Correction: emphasize the /ɔɪ/ diphthong clearly from the nucleus and land the final /d/ with a crisp release. Use minimal pair drills with 'annoy' vs 'annoyed' to isolate the ending.”
In US English, the /ə/ on the first syllable is a reduced vowel, with /ɔɪ/ as a strong diphthong. In UK English, many speakers preserve a slightly more rounded /ɔɪ/ and may perceive the vowel as more centralized; the /d/ can be slightly softer. Australian English tends to be broader with more centralized schwa and a less intense final consonant, but the /ɔɪ/ remains prominent. Overall, stress placement is consistent: second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU: əˈnɔɪd.
The difficulty lies in executing the /ɔɪ/ diphthong cleanly while maintaining a short, clipped first syllable and a crisp final /d/. Many speakers merge /ə/ with a reduced vowel or slide into /aɪ/ rather than /ɔɪ/. Practice focusing on the glide from /ɔ/ to /ɪ/ within the nucleus of the second syllable, and ensure the /d/ is released clearly to avoid an 'annoy' + 'd' blend. IPA guidance helps: əˈnɔɪd.
Why does the second syllable of 'annoyed' carry strong articulation despite a small first syllable? The reason is the English stress pattern and phonotactic weight: the nucleus of /ɔɪ/ carries the peak vowel energy, making the second syllable the most sonorant and prominent. You’ll feel the tongue rise from mid-back to high front as /ɔɪ/, with the lips rounded and then relaxing into /d/; keeping the first syllable lighter helps the second syllable land clearly. IPA: əˈnɔɪd.
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