Noisome
/ˈnɔɪsəm/noun
Harmful, foul, or offensive, especially in smell.
Did you know?Noisome is historically related to Old French forms meaning “harmful” rather than to modern English noise, so its stink is a later twist of meaning, not its original source.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*noy-
“to harm, hurt, or injure”
Latin
Latin
nocēre
“to harm or injure”
Old French
Old French
noisif
“harmful, troublesome”
Middle English
English
noisome
“harmful, offensive, troublesome”
Modern English
English
noisome
“foul-smelling or harmful”