annoyware

A1N1N1O1Y4W4A1R1E1

noun

Software that annoys the user, as by displaying constant advertisements or reminders to register.

OriginEnglish softwarebf. ← Middle English ware ← Old English waru →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

nounannoyware (uncountable)
  1. informaluncountablecomputingSoftware that annoys the user, as by displaying constant advertisements or reminders to register.

    […]where you should put the disclaimer for software (somewhere that the user sees it when they start the program, tho' I wouldn't do that, just put it in the 'about' box like the mpgn.com guy suggests -- otherwise, having something pop up makes it annoyware, IMHO).

    1994 September 8, Kendall Bullen, “COPYRIGHT POLICY”, in rec.games.frp (Usenet)

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
hassleware

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Italic*en
  3. Proto-Italic*en-
  4. Latinin-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
  6. Proto-Italic*odjom
  7. Latinodium
  8. Late Latininodiāre
  9. Old Frenchenoiier
  10. Middle Englishanoyen
  11. Englishannoy
  12. Proto-Indo-European*sem-
  13. Proto-Germanic*samþuz /*samftuz
  14. Proto-West Germanic*samft(ī)
  15. Old Englishsōfte
  16. Middle Englishsofte
  17. Englishsoft
  18. Proto-Germanic*warō
  19. Proto-West Germanic*waru
  20. Old Englishwaru
  21. Middle Englishware
  22. Englishsoftwarebf.
  23. Englishannoyware

From annoy + -ware.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

annoyware. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/annoyware

MLA

“annoyware.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/annoyware. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “annoyware,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/annoyware.

Source: annoyware on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.