nuisance

American  

[noo-suhns, nyoo-] / ˈnu səns, ˈnyu- /

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.

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nuisance British  

/ ˈnjuːsəns /

noun

1. 1. a person or thing that causes annoyance or bother

   2. ( as modifier )

      nuisance calls

2. 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 )

3. the usefulness of a person's or thing's capacity to cause difficulties or irritation

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nuisance Idioms  

1. see make a nuisance of oneself.

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Etymology

Origin of nuisance

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

Explanation

Whether it’s a mosquito or your little brother pestering you about the laundry, you can use the word nuisance to describe something that causes small annoyances. The noun nuisance traces back to the Latin word nocere, meaning “to harm.” Nuisance originally was used to refer to things that could produce serious injury and harm, but over time the word lost some of its capacity for destruction. Nowadays you’ll hear nuisance used to describe things or people that cause small problems or that bother you in annoying but trivial ways.

Example Sentences

Two days later, legislators took up the Public Nuisance Reform Act, which proposes narrowing the definition of what could be considered a nuisance.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

Nuisance laws are often used to prevent property owners from accumulating trash or using their land as a base for chronic criminal activity.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 16, 2022

The fish and wildlife commission manages a service, the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program, to remove alligators believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property.

From New York Times • Sep. 15, 2022

We pulled together a couple of the older lawyers, and we started researching, and then we looked at this opioid case that the state of Oklahoma was utilizing, the Oklahoma Public Nuisance Statute.

From Slate • May 21, 2022

To wear Nuisance about his neck like a millstone, to protect, cherish and guide him through the perils and temptations of boarding-school as though—as though he were his own brother.

From Skippy Bedelle His Sentimental Progress From the Urchin to the Complete Man of the World by Fuhr, Ernest