nuisance

American  

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

noun

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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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

Example Sentences

That means jamming, a nuisance elsewhere, becomes a serious safety concern.

From The Wall Street Journal

Many people treat budgeting as a nuisance and skip it.

From MarketWatch

"It is important to turn the nuisance wildlife into something positive," the farm ministry said earlier this month.

From Barron's

Last month, the city ordered Waymo and the company that operates the charging stations, Voltera, to stop overnight operations at the sites, arguing that the light, noise and activity there constitute a public nuisance.

From Los Angeles Times

However, a judge ordered the council to re-look at the complaint, saying it had not considered the nub of the matter - whether the fouling constituted a "statutory nuisance".

From BBC