adjective
-
(esp of smells) offensive
-
harmful or noxious
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of noisome
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English noy (aphetic variant of annoy ) + -some 1
Explanation
If you accidentally leave half a sandwich under your bed for a few days, cover your nose while you sleep because it will probably become quite noisome. This is a fancy way of saying that it will stink. Despite that first syllable, this adjective doesn’t have root origins in the word noise; instead, it is related to the word annoy. Noisome can refer to anything unpleasant or anything that makes you feel a bit nauseous. However, it is most often used to describe things that smell badly. So spray some air freshener, open the windows, and clean out under your bed!
Vocabulary lists containing noisome
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Frankenstein
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Quiz yourself on these words spoken by the man at the center of the "Laurel" / "Yanny" craze!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
This only resurrected the noisome history of Epstein and the Media Lab, which MIT surely hoped would be dead and buried after it issued an independent report on the matter in January 2020.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 16, 2024
The problems of chamber pots — also known as “jerries, night soil, commodes, slop jars, close stools and thunder mugs” — also contributed to this noisome mix.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 4, 2016
Media scholar Tim Wu plunges into the noisome history of “attention harvesting” — the commodification of human attention by industry and government.
From Nature ● Oct. 11, 2016
You could open a noisome can of air freshener in the Capitol Rotunda.
From New York Times ● Mar. 15, 2012
In the dark, noisome corridor, the nurse waited for Caius.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
Definitions 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.
