ärgerliche

ärgerliche is a German adjective meaning annoying, irritating, or troublesome. It is used to describe events, situations, objects, or actions that cause disappointment or frustration. The word derives from the verb ärgern (to annoy) and the noun Ärger (annoyance, trouble). The suffix -lich forms an adjective indicating a quality or characteristic.

In usage, ärgerliche appears in attributive position before a noun and changes form according to gender and number. Examples include eine ärgerliche Verzögerung (an annoying delay), ärgerliche Umstände (annoying circumstances), and die ärgerliche Fehlentscheidung (the annoying/error-prone decision). Predicative use is common as well: Das ist ärgerlich (That is annoying). There is also an adverbial form, ärgerlicherweise, meaning unfortunately or to one’s annoyance, as in Ärgerlicherweise hat er den Termin verpasst.

Semantic nuance ranges from mild irritation to more significant frustration, depending on context. In English, ärgerliche can be translated as annoying, irritating, troublesome, or unfortunate. Related terms include ärgerlich (the base form used in other contexts) and synonyms such as lästig, nervig, and unangenehm. The word is widely used in everyday German to express dissatisfaction with a situation or outcome.

Overall, ärgerliche functions as a flexible descriptor for things that evoke annoyance, with variations to match grammatical gender and number, and it forms part of a broader family around the verb ärgern and the noun Ärger.