Nuisance
/ˈnjuː.ɪ.səns/noun
Something or someone that causes inconvenience, annoyance, or harm.
Did you know?Nuisance entered English through Old French from a Latin root meaning “to harm” or “to injure,” so the word began as a real threat before it became “just annoying.”
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
nocēre
“to harm, injure”
Late Latin
Late Latin
nocumentum
“harm, injury”
Old French
Old French
nuisance
“harm, annoyance, damage”
14th Century
Middle English
nuisance
“injury, harm; something offensive or troublesome”
Modern English
English
nuisance
“something that causes annoyance or inconvenience”