▪ I. annoy, n.
(əˈnɔɪ)
Forms: 3 anui, 4 anuy(e, onnuy, 4–6 anoy(e, 4–7 annoye, 5 annoi, 6–7 annoie, 6– annoy.
[a. OFr. anoi, anui, enoi, enui (mod. ennui), cogn. w. Sp. enojo, OSp. enoyo (Pg. and OIt. nojo), Pr. enoi, enuoi, OCat. enutg, OVenet. inodio, originating, according to Diez, in the L. phrase in odio, as est mihi in odio ‘it is to me hateful,’ whence inodio was at length taken as n. ‘hatred, dislike, annoyance’: see Diez and Littré. The n was subsequently doubled in Fr. and Eng. by form-assoc. with compounds like en-noble, an-nounce; the aphet. form noi, noy (cf. noisome) helping in Eng. to encourage an erroneous analysis of the word as a-noy, whence an-noy. ennoy, after Fr., is occasional in 15–16th c. (Now mostly poetic, annoyance being the common prose equivalent.)]
1. A mental state akin to pain arising from the involuntary reception of impressions, or subjection to circumstances, which one dislikes; disturbed or ruffled feeling; discomfort, vexation, trouble. In earlier times often = mod.Fr. ennui; in later usage expressing more active feeling of discomfort.
| c 1230 Ancr. R. 374 Þe þridde bitternesse is ine longunge touward heouene, & in þe anui of þisse worlde. c 1300 Beket 1618 Ich have ibeo in anuy. 1388 Wyclif Ps. cxix. 28 Mi soule nappide for anoye [1611 melteth for heauiness]. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 104/3 And deyed in grete myserye of Annoye. 1534 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) E e, They haue..greate annoy of theyr heyres. 1596 Spenser F.Q. i. vi. 17 The lad n'ould after joy; But pynd away in anguish and selfe-wild annoy. 1675 T. Brooks Gold. Key Wks. 1867 V. 147 His cross our comfort; his annoy our endless joy. 1700 Dryden Pal. & Arc. iii. 1111 After past annoy To take the good Vicissitude of joy. 1812 W. Taylor in Month. Rev. LXVII. 143 His ennui amounted to annoy. 1870 Emerson Soc. & Solit. xi. 243 He had better..have been defeated, than give her a moment's annoy. 1872 Blackie Lays of Highl. 121 A student toiling with annoy Through long dry tomes. |
b. phr. to work († do) annoy: to cause discomfort or trouble, to molest. arch.
| a 1420 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 1016 Writyng also dothe grete annoies thre. c 1450 Merlin xiii. 191 The heete that dide hem grete anoye. 1600 Holland Livy xxxii. xxi. 822 The Romane navie by sea shall..do us all annoy. 1768 Beattie Minstr. ii. xxxvii, Ere victory and empire wrought annoy. 1813 Byron Br. Abydos i. v, Much I misdoubt this wayward boy Will one day work me more annoy. |
2. That which causes the above feeling; a troubling thing, circumstance, or action; annoyance.
| c 1305 E.E.P. (1862) 97 Ech man þat haueþ mone In enie neode oþer anuy. 1375 Barbour Bruce iii. 16 Auenturis that thaim befell, And gret anoyis. 1387 Trevisa Higden Rolls Ser. I. 239 [In the triumph] þis onnuy he hadde: a cherle was wiþ hym in his chare. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, v. iii. 156 Good Angels guard thee from the Boares annoy. 1624 Wotton Arch. (1672) 42 The benefit of removing such annoies out of sight. 1827 Keble Chr. Year 3rd S. Trin., A newborn soul..yet wrapt in earth's annoy. |
▪ II. annoy, v.
(əˈnɔɪ)
Forms: 3–4 anue, -uie, -uye, 4 anye, anuyȝe, 4–7 anoie, -oye, annoie, -oye, 5– annoy. Also aphetized to noy, and written after Fr. ennoy.
[a. OFr. anuie-r, enuier, anoier, enoier, cogn. w. Pr. enuiar, enoiar, Sp. enojar, It. annoiare, pointing to a common Romanic inodiāre (found in OIt.), f. inodio: see prec. For spelling with double n, see an- prefix 6.]
† 1. intr. To be hateful, odious, offensive, or a cause of trouble (to, or with dat.) Obs.
| c 1340 Ayenb. 162 To huam þet þe wordle anoyþ uor þe perils..huerof hi is al uol. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. i. v, Ne þe forsweryng ne þe fraude..ne a-noyeþ not to schrewes. c 1386 ― Melib. 31 As Motthes in the shepes flees anoyeth [v.r. annoyeþ, -oyen] to the clothes..so anoyeth [v.r. annoieþ, anoyþe] sorwe to the herte. |
† 2. trans. To be hateful or distasteful to; to trouble, irk, bore, weary. (= Fr. ennuyer.) In passive const. w. of. Obs.
| a 1300 Havelok 1734 Þat is þe storie for to lenge, It wolde anuye þis fayre genge. a 1300 Leg. Rood (1871) 20 Of is lif he was anuyd [v.r. anuyȝed]. a 1400 Rel. Pieces fr. Thornton MS. 17 And sythen when þou has þam at þi will, þan erte þou of thaa thynges annoyede. 1534 Ld. Berners Gold Bk. M. Aurel (1546) K ij, Ye all are anoyed and wery of all goodnes. |
† b. impers. it annoys me..: it irks me. Obs. rare.
| 1382 Wyclif 2 Cor. i. 8 It anoyȝede [1388 anoiede] vs, ȝhe, for to lyue. 1388 ― Numb. xxi. 4 It bigan to anoye the puple of the weie and trauel. c 1386 Chaucer Can. Yeom. Prol. & T. 483 No thyng anoyeth me To lene a man a noble or two or thre. |
3. trans. To affect (a person) in a way that disturbs his equanimity, hurts his susceptibilities, or causes slight irritation. (Refers to the feeling produced, rather than to the action producing it; hence commonest in the passive to be annoyed: to be ruffled in mind, troubled, vexed.)
| 1250 Lay. 2259 Corineus nas anued [1205 un-eðe]. And wo on his mode. 1297 R. Glouc. 487 King Philip was anuyd..That ther nas of him word non, bote al of Richard the king. c 1315 Shoreham 36 Ȝef he the schel anoye aȝt, Hyt wyle of-thenche hym sore. c 1450 Lonelich Grail l. 324 Ȝif I wiste my lord not forto anoye. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. i. i. 189 She will not be annoy'd with suters. 1616 R. C. Times' Whistle vii. 3156 Soe overioyde That through excesse therof he is annoide. 1743 Tindal Rapin's Hist. VII. xvii. 104 He did not want good-will to annoy Elizabeth. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 532 He felt some..vindictive pleasure in annoying those who had cruelly annoyed him. |
† b. to be annoyed after or for: to worry about, be anxious for. Obs. rare.
| a 1400 Rel. Pieces fr. Thornton MS. 17 Þou erte anoyede eftire many thynges, and turment if þou hafe thaym noghte. 1616 R. C. Times' Whistle vii. 2949 The thing, for which he erst was soe anoyde. |
† c. refl. To vex oneself, take offence, grieve. Obs.
| c 1300 K. Alis. 876 Nicolas him anoyed: With wraththe to Alisaundre he saide. |
† d. intr. (refl. pron. omitted.) Obs.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. ii. iv. 41 If þat þou anoie nat or forþenke nat of al þi fortune. a 1555 Latimer Serm. & Rem. 332 To profit with learning, with ignorance not to annoy. |
4. By transf. to the objective means: To molest, injure, hurt, harm; now esp. in military use.
| c 1380 Sir. Ferumb. 364 Wyþ my werres y haue a-nyed muche of cristendome. c 1400 Destr. Troy xv. 6790 Theseus..the troiens anoyet. 1593 Shakes. Hen. VI, iii. i. 67 Thornes that would annoy our Foot. 1607 Topsell Four-footed Beasts 530 Infested and annoyed with Lice. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 369 Nor stood unmindful Abdiel to annoy The atheist crew. 1759 Martin Nat. Hist. I. 41 A gallant Saxon, who annoyed this Coast. 1794 Nelson in Nicolas Disp. (1845) I. 368 The works on the hills would annoy the Town. |
b. absol.
| 1382 Wyclif Is. xi. 9 Thei shuln not noȝen [1388 anoye]..in al myn hoeli mounteyn. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. ii. 163 Yf Est or southeryn wyndes nought enaye. 1764 Goldsm. Trav. 338 But foster'd e'en by Freedom, ills annoy. 1789–94 W. Blake School Boy 18 How can a child, when fears annoy, But droop his tender wing? |
† 5. To affect (a thing) in a way which interferes with its proper action; to interfere with detrimentally, affect injuriously. Obs.
| c 1386 Chaucer Man of Law's T. 394 Who badde foure spiritz of tempest..Anoyen [v.r. annoyeþ] neyther londe, see, ne tree? c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. iv. 131 The molde, and other suche as diggeth lowe, Anoie hem not. 1596 Spenser F.Q. ii. vii. 15 Mucky filth his [the stream's] braunching armes annoyes. 1642 T. Taylor God's Judgem. i. i. xv. 42 The poysoned stinke and savour whereof so annoyed his stomacke that he never left vomiting. 1708 Procl. in Lond. Gaz. mmmmcccclii/2 So as to Annoy the Haling of Sayns in the usual Baiting Places. 1721 J. Perry Daggenh. Breach 116 To annoy or choak the Harbour by any Drift. |