Fastidioso

Fastidioso is an Italian adjective meaning annoying, bothersome, troublesome, or irritating. It describes people, behaviors, or situations that cause discomfort or irritation. The feminine form is fastidiosa, and the plurals are fastidiosi (masculine) and fastidiose (feminine).

The term derives from Latin fastidiosus, from fastidēre meaning “to disgust, to weary.” It is cognate with Spanish fastidioso and Portuguese fastidioso. In English, the root also appears in fastidious, though that word carries a more specialized nuance of meticulousness rather than simple annoyance.

Usage and nuance: fastidioso is commonly used for everyday irritations, from sounds and habits to people who cause minor or moderate annoyance. Examples include: È fastidioso dover ripetere le stesse cose. Questo rumore è fastidioso. Una persona fastidiosa. Che fastidio! The expression Che fastidio! translates roughly as “What a nuisance!”

Differences and related terms: fastidioso contrasts with noioso, which describes dullness or tass of interest rather than active irritation. It can describe both concrete inconveniences (a noisy neighbor) and abstract nuisances (a tedious task). The noun fastidio denotes the annoyance or nuisance itself.

See also: related synonyms include irritante, seccante, molesto, antipatico, and noioso. In multilingual contexts, the Spanish and Portuguese fastidioso convey similar meanings, while English speakers may recognize the root in fastidious, though with a distinct sense.