inconvenience
Americannoun
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inconveniences
plural
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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)
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inconvenienced,
past participle, past
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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
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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:
The CMS paid him a £100 "consolatory payment" and an internal note said mistakes at the time had caused Gerry "gross inconvenience".
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Destination Crenshaw was supposed to transform 1.3 miles of Crenshaw Boulevard along Metro’s K Line into an art-filled gathering space, but according to some neighbors, the project has become an inconvenience and eyesore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
The company said it would deposit 2,500 Bilt rewards points to affected customers for their inconvenience, and offered to work directly with customers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
EasyJet apologised "for the inconvenience caused by the diversion and delay in disembarking" its flight which was diverted to Stansted.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
She does not want to inconvenience Mrs. Song more than she believes we already do.
From "A Step from Heaven" by An Na
With an EV, we no longer have to deal with many legacy irritants and inconveniences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
Small inconveniences you overlook on vacation can become major issues when they are part of your daily life.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 29, 2025
"Although, yes, there are inconveniences, the majority of the population is ready for this," he insisted.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2025
"In this study, we're talking about daily stressors, the minor inconveniences that occur throughout the day, but there's also chronic stress where people are continually impacted by stressors again and again," Witzel said.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2025
Mandy lived with us as cook and godmother of our children—and secret performer of small magic to protect us from colds, broken crockery, and the sundry inconveniences of a royal household.
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
In both cases, an individual is inconvenienced to improve the overall environment, making it healthier for everyone.
From Salon ● May 1, 2026
However, some ways of being inconvenienced are more draining than others.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026
But the crowds and snarled traffic have inconvenienced some including Eric Stein, a Park City resident, who said he can’t wait for the festival to leave town.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026
"All too frequently, our passengers have been inconvenienced by on-the-day cancellations, which results in poor quality and reliability of service," it said.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2024
He promised them that they would not be inconvenienced for more than a day or two, that the Americans would soon be shipped to Dresden as contract labor.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
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
The Chicano movement was in full force and inconveniencing the status quo.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2023
In their self-conception, they would be entitled to white-glove service from the federal government in the wake of this massively inconveniencing event.
From Slate ● Mar. 13, 2023
I am sorry that all this time I had no idea of the extent to which they were inconveniencing you.'
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
