Meanings
nounnuisance (countable and uncountable, plural nuisances)
plural nuisances
- countableuncountableA minor annoyance or inconvenience.
What a nuisance to have to go now!
2 more examples
The neighbor's dog barking throughout the night is a right nuisance - I'm going to complain.
By itself, nondifferentiability at zero is a minor nuisance.
2010, Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data, 2nd edition, The MIT Press, page 407Synonyms: annoyance, inconvenience, offense
- countableuncountableA person or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience.
You can be such a nuisance when you don't get your way.
1 more example
With Vardy working tirelessly up front, chasing lost causes and generally making a nuisance of himself, Sevilla were never allowed to settle on a night when the atmosphere was electric inside the King Power Stadium.
2017 March 14, Stuart James, “Leicester stun Sevilla to reach last eight after Kasper Schmeichel save”, in the Guardian
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA minor annoyance or inconvenience.
antonym(s) of “minor annoyance or inconvenience”
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
nounsomething or someone that causes trouble; a source of unhappiness
Broader
negative stimulus
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinnocēre
- Old Frenchnuisance
- Anglo-Normannusaunce
- Middle Englishnoysaunce
- Englishnuisance
From Middle English noysaunce, from Anglo-Norman nusaunce, nussance and Old French nuisance, from nuisir (“to harm”), from Latin nocēre. Doublet of nocence and nocency.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic إِزْعَاج
- إِزْعَاج (ʔizʕāj)minor annoyance or inconvenience
Bulgarian досада, неприятност
- досада (dosada)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- неприятност (neprijatnost)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- досадник (dosadnik)person or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
Catalan molèstia, incomoditat
- molèstiaminor annoyance or inconvenience
- incomoditatminor annoyance or inconvenience
- lataminor annoyance or inconvenience
- pesatperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- plepaperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
Chinese Mandarin 討厭的事 /讨厌的事, 麻煩事 /麻烦事
- 討厭的事 /讨厌的事 (tǎoyàn de shì)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- 麻煩事 /麻烦事 (máfan shì)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- 討厭的人 /讨厌的人 (tǎoyàn de rén)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- 麻煩人 /麻烦人 (máfan rén)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- 麻煩事 /麻烦事 (máfan shì)person or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- 討厭的事 /讨厌的事 (tǎoyàn de shì)person or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- 麻煩人 /麻烦人 (máfan rén)person or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- 討厭的人 /讨厌的人 (tǎoyàn de rén)person or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- 討厭鬼 /讨厌鬼 (tǎoyànguǐ)person or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
Dutch ergernis, ongemak
- ergernisminor annoyance or inconvenience
- ongemakminor annoyance or inconvenience
- lastpostperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- overlastlaw: anything harmful or offensive to the community or to a member of it
Esperanto agacaĵo, malagrablaĵo
- agacaĵoperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- malagrablaĵoperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
Finnish harmi, kiusa
- harmiminor annoyance or inconvenience
- kiusaminor annoyance or inconvenience
- riesaminor annoyance or inconvenience
- kiusankappaleperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- riesaperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- maanvaivaperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
French embêtement, nuisance
- embêtementminor annoyance or inconvenience
- nuisanceminor annoyance or inconvenience
German Ärgernis, Ärger
- Ärgernisminor annoyance or inconvenience
- Ärgerminor annoyance or inconvenience
- Quälgeistperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- Belästigunglaw: anything harmful or offensive to the community or to a member of it
Greek μπελάς, βάσανο
- μπελάς (belás)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- βάσανο (vásano)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- ενόχληση (enóchlisi)minor annoyance or inconvenience
Hungarian kellemetlenség, bosszúság
- kellemetlenségminor annoyance or inconvenience
- bosszúságminor annoyance or inconvenience
- botránylaw: anything harmful or offensive to the community or to a member of it
- botrányokozáslaw: anything harmful or offensive to the community or to a member of it
- közbotrányokozáslaw: anything harmful or offensive to the community or to a member of it
- botránkozáslaw: anything harmful or offensive to the community or to a member of it
- megbotránkozáslaw: anything harmful or offensive to the community or to a member of it
Indonesian gangguan, orang rewel
- gangguanminor annoyance or inconvenience
- orang rewelperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
Irish crá croí, crá croí
- crá croíminor annoyance or inconvenience
- crá croíperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- núislaw: anything harmful or offensive to the community or to a member of it
Japanese 迷惑, 迷惑な物
- 迷惑 (meiwaku)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- 迷惑な物 (meiwaku na mono)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- 迷惑な人 (meiwaku na hito)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- 厄介者 (yakkai-mono)person or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- 迷惑な物 (meiwaku na mono)person or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- 迷惑な人person or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
Korean 성가심, 불쾌함
- 성가심 (seonggasim)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- 불쾌함 (bulkwaeham)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- 방해 (banghae)law: anything harmful or offensive to the community or to a member of it
Māori pōrearea, whakahōhā
- pōreareaminor annoyance or inconvenience
- whakahōhāminor annoyance or inconvenience
- pōreareaperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
Polish niedogodność, uciążliwość
- niedogodnośćminor annoyance or inconvenience
- uciążliwośćminor annoyance or inconvenience
- utrapieniecperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- utrapienieperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- zakłócenie porządkulaw: anything harmful or offensive to the community or to a member of it
Portuguese incômodo, distúrbio
- incômodominor annoyance or inconvenience
- distúrbiominor annoyance or inconvenience
- inconvenienteminor annoyance or inconvenience
- pedra no sapatominor annoyance or inconvenience
- inconvenienteperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- inadequadoperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- inoportunoperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
Russian неприя́тность, доса́да
- неприя́тность (neprijátnostʹ)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- доса́да (dosáda)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- неудо́бство (neudóbstvo)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- поме́ха (poméxa)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- ньюснс (nʹjusns)minor annoyance or inconvenience
Slovak otrava
- otravaperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
Spanish molestia, engorro
- molestiaminor annoyance or inconvenience
- engorrominor annoyance or inconvenience
- incomodidadminor annoyance or inconvenience
- moliendaminor annoyance or inconvenience
- gibaminor annoyance or inconvenience
- inconvenienteperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- estorboperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- peplaperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- engarnioperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
- moliendaperson or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience
Swahili kero
- kerominor annoyance or inconvenience
Turkish sıkıntı
- sıkıntıminor annoyance or inconvenience
Ukrainian незручність, ніяковість
- незручність (nezručnistʹ)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- ніяковість (nijakovistʹ)minor annoyance or inconvenience
- зніяковілість (znijakovilistʹ)minor annoyance or inconvenience
Cite this entry
APA
nuisance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nuisance
MLA
“nuisance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nuisance. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nuisance,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nuisance.
Source: nuisance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.