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Preposition after adjective

Annoying to or annoying for?

The standard pattern is annoying to someone. Annoying for is uncommon as a direct complement after the adjective.

Quick answer

Which preposition follows annoying?

Use annoying to to say who feels annoyed. Annoying for is usually not used directly after annoying, although for can appear in other sentence structures.

The buzzing was annoying to everyone.
This delay is annoying to customers.
It was annoying for the team to wait outside.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
annoying to + person

Showing who feels annoyed

This is the standard adjective pattern.

The smell is annoying to some passengers.
2
annoying for + person + infinitive

Using for in a different structure

For belongs to the infinitive clause, not directly to annoying.

It was annoying for her to miss the train.
3
really annoying to + noun

Adding emphasis

Adverbs commonly modify annoying before to.

The repeated calls were really annoying to staff.
4
annoying when + clause

Describing irritating situations

A clause can follow annoying without a preposition.

It's annoying when the app crashes.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
annoying to
The noise is annoying to neighbours.
Standard pattern showing who is affected.
annoying for
It is annoying for commuters to face delays every day.
For introduces the person connected to the infinitive clause.
annoying for someone
The phrase annoying for customers is incomplete by itself.
Usually needs an infinitive or another structure.
annoying when
It's annoying when people interrupt.
Introduces a clause describing the irritating situation.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using for directly after annoying

Annoying normally takes to before a person.

✕ The noise is annoying for me. ✓ The noise is annoying to me.

Forgetting the infinitive after for

If you use for, it often connects to an infinitive clause.

✕ It was annoying for the guests. ✓ It was annoying for the guests to wait.

Using a person without a preposition

Add to before the affected person.

✕ The behaviour is annoying everyone. ✓ The behaviour is annoying to everyone.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The loud music was annoying ___ the customers.
2. It was annoying ___ us to arrive late.
3. It's annoying ___ the printer stops working.

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Frequently asked questions

Is annoying for wrong?

Not always. It is natural in structures such as annoying for someone to do something.

Can I say annoying to me?

Yes. This is a common and standard pattern.

What is the difference between annoying and annoyed?

Annoying describes the thing causing irritation, while annoyed describes the person who feels it.

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