Etymology From Middle English anoyen, from Old French anoier (“to bother, disturb”), from Late Latin inodiāre (“to make loathsome”), derived from Latin odium (“loathing, hatred”). Displaced native Old English dreċċan, gremman.
1
To disturb or irritate, especially by continued or repeated acts; to bother with unpleasant deeds.
Marc loved his sister, but when she annoyed him he wanted to switch her off.
Yet let me flap this bug with gilded wings, / This painted child of dirt that stinks and stings; / Whose buzz the witty and the fair annoys, / Yet wit ne'er tastes, and beauty ne'r enjoys.1735, Alexander Pope, Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot:
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You Klaestrons are allies of the Cardassians; your knowledge of the station confirms that they must have given you the layouts. Which not only compromises Bajoran security, but also... annoys us.1993, D.C. Fontana, Peter Allan Fields, “Dax”, in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, season 1, episode 8, spoken by Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor):
In America alone, people spent $170 billion on “direct marketing”—junk mail of both the physical and electronic varieties—last year. Yet of those who received unsolicited adverts through the post, only 3% bought anything as a result. If the bumf arrived electronically, the take-up rate was 0.1%. And for online adverts the “conversion” into sales was a minuscule 0.01%. That means about $165 billion was spent not on drumming up business, but on annoying people, creating landfill and cluttering spam filters.2013 May 25, “No hiding place”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8837, page 74:
to annoy an army by impeding its march, or by a cannonade
tapers put into lanterns or sconces of several-coloured, oiled paper, that the wind might not annoy them1644 December 2 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 23 November 1644]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC:
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Say, what can more our tortured souls annoy / Than to behold, admire, and lose our joy?1691, Matthew Prior, Pastoral to Dr. Turner, Bishop of Ely:
Etymology From Middle English anoy, from Old French enui. Doublet of ennui.
1
Archaic, Literary A feeling of discomfort or vexation caused by what one dislikes.
VVe that ſuffer long anoy / Are contented vvith a thought / Through an idle fancie vvrought / O let my ioyes have ſome abiding.1606 (date written), [Francis Beaumont; John Fletcher], The Woman Hater. […], London: […] [Robert Raworth], and are to be sold by John Hodgets […], published 1607, →OCLC, Act III, scene i:
[I]f she says he was defeated, why he had better, a great deal, have been defeated, than give her a moment's annoy.1870, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Success”, in Society and Solitude. Twelve Chapters, Boston, Mass.: Fields, Osgood, & Co., →OCLC, page 272:
Sleepe in Peace, and wake in Ioy, / Good Angels guard thee from the Boares annoy […]c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
The home far and away, the distance where lives joy, / The cure, at once and ever, of world and world's annoy; […]1872, Robert Browning, Fifine at the Fair, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, stanza 5, page 4: