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Which insect is often called a nuisance?

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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

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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

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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

Residents say the coyote had been a nuisance in the area since January, when a neighbor began feeding it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

Mr Malik, 58, of Colne Rd, Burnley, was found not guilty of causing a public nuisance, fraudulent trading and money laundering.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Last year, Boulder County, Colo., won a 5-2 ruling in the state Supreme Court that allowed its 2018 suit to proceed as a claim of a public nuisance, an unjust enrichment or a civil conspiracy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

Some of them spit saliva on you unconsciously, especially if you are seated not far from them, and they are a nuisance in terms of noise and saliva.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

There was a coastal farmer, he tells us, whose islands suffered under a nuisance of foxes—so he set up a fox-trap on one of them.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Others argued that the report seems to cast members of the media as nuisances to be dealt with, while ignoring instances in which journalists were targeted by law enforcement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Calling it a “broad inquiry,” Uthmeier said it was too early to pinpoint what specific action might result but said Florida law on deceptive trade practices, fraud or public nuisances could be invoked.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

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

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

"Plenty of time when these nuisances have gone, eh?"

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

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