inconvenience
Americannoun
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the quality or state of being inconvenient.
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an inconvenient circumstance or thing; something that causes discomfort, trouble, etc.
verb (used with object)
noun
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the state or quality of being inconvenient
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something inconvenient; a hindrance, trouble, or difficulty
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inconveniencesimple
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inconveniencessimple
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have inconveniencedperfect
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has inconveniencedperfect
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am inconveniencingprogressive
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are inconveniencingprogressive
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is inconveniencingprogressive
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have been inconveniencingperfect progressive
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has been inconveniencingperfect progressive
Past
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inconveniencedsimple
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had inconveniencedperfect
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was inconveniencingprogressive
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were inconveniencingprogressive
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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.
But spending time around that ferry has made me wonder if modern life has undersold inconvenience.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 10, 2026
Kohli-Lynch said one reason is that measuring apoB generally requires an additional blood test beyond the standard cholesterol panel, increasing both cost and inconvenience.
From Science Daily • Jul. 6, 2026
"It's quite an inconvenience that we can't wash up, use the toilet, or do things like that," said 53-year economist Claudio Pittia.
From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026
Users online remarked on the inconvenience for moviegoers and whether it could cause some people to skip their trip to CityWalk.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
At the moment—March 1893—the greatest inconvenience confronting Holmes was his lack of help.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
