nuisance

noun

nui·​sance ˈnü-sᵊn(t)s 

ˈnyü-

1

: harm, injury

relieving the nuisance of poisonous fumes from rural factories

—Collier's Yr. Bk.

2

: one that is annoying, unpleasant, or obnoxious : pest

My allergies are a nuisance in the springtime.

Weeds are a nuisance to the gardener.

Did you know?

What is an attractive nuisance?

Nuisance is a fine example of a word that has taken on a weakened meaning. It has been in use in English since the 15th century, and for much of that time signified "harm" or "injury" rather than mere "annoyance" (the word came into our language from French, but it can be traced back to the Latin nocēre, meaning “to harm”). In the early 19th century nuisance began to see considerable use in reference to people or things that were obnoxious rather than injurious, and that meaning has become the prevalent one. We retain evidence of the word’s earlier "harm" sense, however, in the legal term attractive nuisance, which refers to an enticing thing or condition (such as an unattended ladder leaning against a house) that might attract a child and cause them injury.

Synonyms

• annoyance
• annoyer
• bother
• gadfly
• gnawer
• nudnik
• nudnick
• pain
• persecutor
• pest
• tease
• teaser

Examples of nuisance in a Sentence

the new neighbor is threatening to become a nuisance, dropping in on us several times a day

folding up this map correctly is such a nuisance

Recent Examples on the Web

With no power to fend off poultry farms, neighbors live with stench and nuisances North Carolina keeps poultry farm locations secret. —Gavin Off, Charlotte Observer, 26 Jan. 2025

Like with skateboarding, Kemp says, many leaders saw stickball as a nuisance that disrupted commerce. —Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Jan. 2025

For instance, with travel, multiple oddsmakers pointed out that teams have optimized the practice over the past few seasons, negating a true disadvantage from jetlag or other nuisances on the road. —Ben Fawkes, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025

More about New York City’s nuisances Where Are the Rats in New York City? Oct. 24, 2024 What else gets under our skin? —Josh Ocampo, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English nusaunce, noisaunce "harm, damage, (in law) cause of annoyance or inconvenience," borrowed from Anglo-French nusance, noisance, from nuis-, nois-, nus-, stem of nuire, nure, noisir, nuser "to injure, damage, vex" (going back to Latin nocēre "to injure, harm") + -ance -ance — more at noxious

Note: The meanings of Anglo-French nuire and nusance have been influenced by partially overlapping forms of noier "to annoy, vex," an aphetic form of anoier, ennoier (see annoy).

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nuisance

• make a nuisance of oneself
• nuisance tax

Kids Definition

nuisance

noun

nui·​sance ˈn(y)üs-ᵊn(t)s 

: an annoying or troublesome person, thing, or way of doing something

Legal Definition

nuisance

noun

nui·​sance ˈnüs-ᵊns, ˈnyüs- 

: something (as an act, object, or practice) that invades or interferes with another's rights or interests (as the use or enjoyment of property) by being offensive, annoying, dangerous, obstructive, or unhealthful

— attractive nuisance

: a thing or condition on one's property that poses a risk to children who may be attracted to it without realizing the risk by virtue of their youth

: a doctrine or theory employed in most jurisdictions: a possessor of property may be liable for injury caused to a trespassing or invited child by a condition on the property if he or she failed to use ordinary care in preventing such injury (as by fencing in a pool) and had reason to foresee entry by the child and if the utility of the condition was minor compared to the likelihood of injury

declined to extend the doctrine of attractive nuisance…to moving trains

—Honeycutt v. City of Wichita, 796 P.2d 549 (1990)

Note: The doctrine of attractive nuisance originated in an 1873 U.S. Supreme Court case, Sioux City & Pacific Railroad Co. v. Stout, 84 U.S. 657 (1873), involving a trespassing child injured by a railroad turntable; an early premise was that the attractive nuisance caused the trespass, and so by extension the owner was responsible for the trespass as well. Subsequent modification of the doctrine has focused on the possessor's duty to use care in preventing injury, whether a child is a trespasser or invitee.

— common nuisance

: public nuisance in this entry

— nuisance at law

: nuisance per se in this entry

— nuisance in fact

: an act, occupation, or structure that is considered a nuisance in relation to its circumstances or surroundings

a lawful business may be a nuisance in fact in a particular location

called also nuisance per accidens

compare nuisance per se in this entry

— nuisance per se

: an act, occupation, or structure that is considered a nuisance regardless of its circumstances or surroundings

a house of prostitution is a nuisance per se

called also nuisance at law

compare nuisance in fact in this entry

— private nuisance

: something (as an activity) that constitutes an unreasonable interference in the right to the use and enjoyment of one's property and that may be a cause of action in civil litigation

— public nuisance

: something that unreasonably interferes with the health, safety, comfort, morals, or convenience of the community and that is treated as a criminal violation

declared that the landfill was a present and prospective public nuisance and ordered…operations to cease

—SCA Servs. v. Transportation Ins. Co., 646 N.E.2d 394 (1995)

called also common nuisance

Etymology

Anglo-French nusaunce, from Old French nuire to harm, from Latin nocēre