nuisance

B2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈnuː.səns/ UK /ˈnjuː.səns/ See IPA manual

Freq #7991

Meanings

1

noun
Something that annoys you or causes trouble.

Having to change trains twice is a real nuisance.
2

noun
A person who annoys you or causes trouble.

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

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · something that annoys you... annoyance inconvenience bother

2 noun · a person who annoys you or... pest pain

More faff grievance hassle irritation palaver peeve plague trouble vexation

Opposites

enjoyment

Word family

Forms nuisances

Derived forms antinuisancenuisancelessnuisancer

Related forms annoy annoyed annoying bugbear headache irritant mischief nag pain pest

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

public nuisance
a condition or activity that substantially interferes with the public's shared rights

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Nuisance entered English in the late Middle Ages from the French verb nuisir. That verb ultimately derives from Latin nocere, “to hurt or injure.”

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.

*neḱ- Proto-Indo-European noysaunce Middle English nusaunce xno nuisance Old French noceō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# nuisance

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈnuː.səns/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈnjuː.səns/
**Frequency rank:** 7991

## Meanings
1. Something that annoys you or causes trouble.
2. A person who annoys you or causes trouble.

## Examples
- Having to change trains twice is a real nuisance.
- You can be such a nuisance when you don't get your way.

## Synonyms
- faff
- grievance
- hassle
- irritation
- palaver
- peeve
- plague
- trouble
- vexation

## Antonyms
- enjoyment

## Derived Forms
- antinuisance
- nuisanceless
- nuisancer

## Related Forms
- annoy
- annoyed
- annoying
- bugbear
- headache
- irritant
- mischief
- nag
- pain
- pest

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *neḱ-
- Root: noysaunce
- Root: nusaunce
- Root: nuisance
- Root: noceō

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Nuisance comes 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. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *neḱ-, Middle English noysaunce, xno nusaunce, Old French nuisance, and Latin noceō. Modern senses include something that annoys you or causes trouble and a person who annoys you or causes trouble. The wider word family includes derivatives such as antinuisance, nuisanceless, and nuisancer and related forms such as annoy, annoyed, annoying, and bugbear.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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