nuisance
Americannoun
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an obnoxious or annoying person, thing, condition, practice, etc..
a monthly meeting that was more nuisance than pleasure.
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Law. something offensive or annoying to individuals or to the community, especially in violation of their legal rights.
noun
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a person or thing that causes annoyance or bother
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( as modifier )
nuisance calls
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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 )
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the usefulness of a person's or thing's capacity to cause difficulties or irritation
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A jury last year took their side, awarding more than $660 million in damages across three Greenpeace entities, citing charges including trespass, nuisance, conspiracy and deprivation of property access.
From Barron's
With the finding gone, legal experts are predicting this will now unravel, leading to a surge in what are called "public nuisance" actions.
From BBC
In the two years I battled the itch, it blossomed from a nuisance to a constant presence in my life.
Gallina, 75, was clad in a floor-length dark green striped appliqué jacket and clutching a paper ticket when she declared the Olympics to be a nuisance that has “nothing to do with Milan’s essence.”
The Carson City Council eventually declared a public health nuisance in October 2021.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
