inconvenience
Americannoun
-
inconveniences
plural
-
the quality or state of being inconvenient.
-
an inconvenient circumstance or thing; something that causes discomfort, trouble, etc.
verb (used with object)
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inconveniences,
present (3rd person singular)
-
inconvenienced,
past participle, past
-
inconveniencing
present participle
noun
-
the state or quality of being inconvenient
-
something inconvenient; a hindrance, trouble, or difficulty
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
inconveniencesimple
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inconveniencessimple
-
have inconveniencedperfect
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has inconveniencedperfect
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am inconveniencingprogressive
-
are inconveniencingprogressive
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is inconveniencingprogressive
-
have been inconveniencingperfect progressive
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has been inconveniencingperfect progressive
Past
-
inconveniencedsimple
-
had inconveniencedperfect
-
was inconveniencingprogressive
-
were inconveniencingprogressive
-
had been inconveniencingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of inconvenience
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word inconvenientia. See in- 3, convenience
Explanation
An inconvenience is an annoying occurrence that makes you go out of your way, like the inconvenience of a detour that takes you off your usual route, or the inconvenience of the door bell ringing just as you are about to take a dish out of the oven. The noun inconvenience, pronounced "in-cun-VEE-nyent," comes from the Latin word inconvenientia, from in-, meaning “not,” and convenient-, meaning “agreeing, fitting.” That meaning still holds true for inconvenience: something that doesn’t fit easily into your life, though it doesn't cause suffering, either. Use it to describe small irritations, like the inconvenience of an airport delay.
Vocabulary lists containing inconvenience
The Giver
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 26–31
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“It’s not just an inconvenience for me,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
For individuals, not being able to get your money out when you need it isn’t an inconvenience; it’s potentially catastrophic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
"Each boarded a bus heading to the wrong destination. We sincerely apologise to both teams for the inconvenience," said Ayumi Sakamoto.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
Hill realises that Cardiff is no stranger to hosting big events, but said "every big event at the Principality Stadium is an inconvenience to the people that live here".
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
“We won’t be coming back until late afternoon. I hope that won’t inconvenience you very much?” he apologized.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
But taken together, thousands of decisions to eliminate small inconveniences can also eliminate opportunities for connection.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
"We must offer our apologies to the athletes and others affected by these inconveniences," said Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa, who is also acting chairman of the local organising committee.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
In a press conference before landing, Christina Koch said the inconveniences, such as freeze-dried food or a toilet without much privacy, were worth it.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026
Meanwhile, wide adoption has brought new inconveniences, as even power users feel awkward talking to their laptops.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2026
For between him and his ship were more than a few inconveniences.
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
To be Austin at a World Cup match is to rarely be inconvenienced.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
However, some ways of being inconvenienced are more draining than others.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026
Stellantis said it was "inevitable" that customers would be inconvenienced.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2025
“I think that when people are confronted with nature in the city people are both fascinated by it and sometimes inconvenienced by it,” says seabird ecologist Louise Blight.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2024
Autumn’s place is so great that it’s my go-to spot whenever I’m even mildly inconvenienced.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
She currently shares a car with her boyfriend and they coordinate daily dropoffs and pickups, oftentimes inconveniencing one of them.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026
She later apologized to her security detail, secretaries and driver for inconveniencing them by starting at such an early hour.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 24, 2025
With no workers left, heaps of trash have been overflowing from public bins and dump yards on to the streets, inconveniencing residents.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2025
There is no way to get rid of the rats without inconveniencing people.
From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2023
“I hope I won’t be inconveniencing you if I only pay the interest this term?”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
