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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

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

Now these nuisance behaviours have become official legal offences carrying immediate fines.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

But American business owners and policymakers are grappling with a thornier question: Are high energy costs a temporary nuisance to wait out, or a long-term economic reality that calls for price increases right now?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

The agency has issued the company 38 violation notices for public nuisance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

A Transport for London survey of 1,000 people last year found 70% of respondents found loud music and phone calls without headphones a nuisance.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

I try not to make a nuisance of myself, but I’ve figured out how to get my voice heard when I have to.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

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

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

All these illusionary names are what tort lawyers call attractive nuisances, enticing but dangerous.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 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

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

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman