Annoyingly

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ʌˈnɔɪjɪŋli/

Definitions

1. In a way that elicits persistent displeasure or irritation
2. Through actions that continuously invoke frustration or exasperation
3. Performed in a way that causes repeated frustration or discomfort

Etymology: "Annoyingly" is built from "annoying" plus the adverb ending "-ly", so the interesting history lies in the verb underneath. "Annoy" came into English in the Middle English period from Old French "enoiier", which in turn descends from Late Latin "inodiare", meaning to make hateful or to cause hatred. That Latin base is "odium", hatred, and the same root gives English "odious". In other words, to annoy someone was originally to make them hateful to you, a far stronger sense than today's mild irritation. The verb's sense softened over the centuries, and "annoying" followed the same path. The "-ing" ending turned the verb into an adjective describing things that cause irritation, and "-ly" then turned that adjective into an adverb describing how something is done. The ending "-ly" comes from Old English "-līce", a word tied to "body" or "form", which is why it attaches to so many adjectives to mean "in the manner of".

Synonyms: irritatingly, vexingly, botheringly, pesteringly, troublesomely

Antonyms: pleasantly, agreeably, satisfactorily, delightfully, enjoyably