nuisance

American  

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

noun

nuisances plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• nuisances
  plural

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

See Examples For:

nuisance nuisances

What sets nuisance suits apart is that they seek more than money.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

They want abatement—a court order to make the alleged nuisance stop.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

Inspectors confirmed the odors were coming from the warehouse and issued Lineage an initial notice for violation of public nuisance rules.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Dani Olmo: Showed some class touches and proved a real nuisance.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

But they have a policy about nuisance coyotes, especially injured nuisance coyotes.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

In 2017, when Sydney’s father was dying, he hired Sharon Zissman to help pay the household bills and oversee the everyday financial nuisances that he feared would burden his wife and family after his death.

From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026

Ms. Wimpenny is ready to defend mosquitoes, writing, “those bitey nuisances are simply little animals doing what they must to become mothers.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

Plainly, what’s needed is a taxonomy of AI slop: which manifestations are merely nuisances, which are actually entertaining, which are threats to social or political order.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2025

But for gulls — sometimes erroneously called “seagulls,” though they are not exclusive to the ocean — they are described as nuisances and pests, which experts say couldn’t be further from the truth.

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2024

The insults were part of the nuisances of life, like lice.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison