énervant
/e.nɛʁ.vɑ̃/
The English word "annoying" can be translated into French as énervant. Wiktionary also lists agaçant and irritant.
Meaning: causing irritation or annoyance (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| énervant | /e.nɛʁ.vɑ̃/ |
| agaçant | /a.ɡa.sɑ̃/ |
| irritant | /i.ʁi.tɑ̃/ |
| ennuyeux | /ɑ̃.nɥi.jø/ |
| ennuyant | /ɑ̃.nɥi.jɑ̃/ |
The various forms of this word are used to describe things or people that cause irritation or annoyance. Use agaçant when something is specifically irritating or gets on your nerves, while énervant often implies a higher level of frustration or a loss of patience.
Which one should you use?
While ennuyeux can mean annoying, it is more commonly used to mean "boring" in the sense of being tedious or uninteresting.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adjectives in French must agree with the noun they modify. For example, the masculine plural form of énervant is énervants and the feminine form of agaçant is agaçante.
How do you pronounce it?
énervant is pronounced /e.nɛʁ.vɑ̃/ and has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- In very informal French, people might use the slang word relou to mean annoying. It is 'verlan', a type of slang where syllables are reversed from the word lourd, meaning 'heavy'.
- The word agaçant is derived from the verb agacer, which originally referred to the act of provoking a dog or an animal to make it react.
- The word énervant literally means 'nerve-wracking' or 'shattering the nerves'. In French, to be 'annoying' is described as a physical process of stripping away one's nerves.
Examples in context
- Tom est très agaçant.Tom is very annoying.This sentence shows how to use agaçant to describe a person.Tatoeba #4043545 by GB3, translation #3417638 by CK
- Ce bruit est agaçant.That sound is annoying.This sentence demonstrates using agaçant to describe a sound.Tatoeba #5688387 by Aiji, translation #3481745 by CK
- N'est-ce pas agaçant ?Isn't that annoying?This sentence shows how to use agaçant in a rhetorical question.Tatoeba #885705 by U2FS, translation #418631 by blay_paul
- C'est vraiment ennuyeuxIt's really annoying
- C'est pénible de travailler avec luiIt's annoying to work with him
- Sa réponse est vraiment contrarianteHis answer is really annoying
- Arrête de faire ça, c'est vraiment énervantStop doing that, it's really annoying
- C'est vraiment barbant de l'écouterIt's really boring and annoying to listen to him/her
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are waiting for a late bus.
- NathanLe bus est encore en retard.The bus is late again.
- LéaC'est vraiment énervant !That's really annoying!
- NathanOn devrait peut-être marcher.Maybe we should walk.
- LéaOui, c'est trop énervant d'attendre ici.Yes, it's too annoying to wait here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “annoying” translations and entries énervant, agaçant, irritant, ennuyeux, ennuyant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
