Annoyance is the feeling of being bothered or irritated by something that disrupts your peace or makes things harder than they should be. When your little brother keeps poking you while you're trying to read, that's annoyance. When a mosquito buzzes around your ear just as you're falling asleep, that's annoyance. It's not rage or fury, just that prickly, impatient feeling when something gets under your skin.

The word can also describe the thing causing that feeling. A persistent annoyance might be a squeaky door, a classmate who constantly clicks their pen, or having to tie your shoe for the third time in an hour. These small frustrations can accumulate throughout the day.

Some annoyances are minor and fleeting, like waiting an extra minute for a slow website to load. Others build up over time: if someone interrupts you every single day while you're working, what starts as a small annoyance can grow into real frustration. Part of getting along with others involves learning which annoyances to ignore, which to politely address, and recognizing when you might be causing annoyance for someone else.