nuisance

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A minor annoyance or inconvenience.

   The neighbor's dog barking throughout the night is a right nuisance - I'm going to complain.

2. 2
   noun

   A person or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience.

   You can be such a nuisance when you don't get your way.

3. 3
   noun

   Anything harmful or offensive to the community or to a member of it, for which a legal remedy exists.

   a public nuisance

4. 4
   noun

   (law) a broad legal concept including anything that disturbs the reasonable use of your property or endangers life and health or is offensive

5. 5
   noun

   a bothersome annoying person

Etymology

From Middle English noysaunce, from Anglo-Norman nusaunce, nussance and Old French nuisance, from nuisir (“to harm”), from Latin nocēre. Doublet of nocence and nocency.