nuisance

[ noo-suhns, nyoo- ]
See synonyms for nuisance on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an obnoxious or annoying person, thing, condition, practice, etc.: a monthly meeting that was more nuisance than pleasure.

  2. Law. something offensive or annoying to individuals or to the community, especially in violation of their legal rights.

Origin of nuisance

1
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English nu(i)sa(u)nce, from Anglo-French, from nuis(er) “to harm” (from Latin nocēre “to harm, injure”) + -ance -ance

Words Nearby nuisance

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How to use nuisance in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nuisance

nuisance

/ (ˈnjuːsəns) /


noun
    • a person or thing that causes annoyance or bother

    • (as modifier): nuisance calls

  1. law something unauthorized that is obnoxious or injurious to the community at large (public nuisance) or to an individual, esp in relation to his ownership or occupation of property (private nuisance)

  1. nuisance value the usefulness of a person's or thing's capacity to cause difficulties or irritation

Origin of nuisance

1
C15: via Old French from nuire to injure, from Latin nocēre

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with nuisance

nuisance

see make a nuisance of oneself.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.