- noisome
- has nothing to do with noise or noisiness. It is related to annoy and means offensive or objectionable, and is most often used to describe unpleasant smells.
Dictionary of troublesome word. Bill Bryson. 2013.
noisome
Look at other dictionaries:
Noisome — Noi some, a. [For noysome, fr. noy for annoy. See {Annoy}.] 1. Noxious to health; hurtful; mischievous; unwholesome; insalubrious; destructive; as, noisome effluvia. Noisome pestilence. Ps. xci. 3. [1913 Webster] 2. Offensive to the smell or… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
noisome — index deleterious, detrimental, fatal, harmful, harsh, heinous, insalubrious, malignant, noxious … Law dictionary
noisome — (adj.) late 14c., harmful, noxious, from noye harm, misfortune, shortened form of anoi annoyance (from O.Fr. anoier, see ANNOY (Cf. annoy)) + SOME (Cf. some). Meaning bad smelling first recorded 1570s. Related: Noisomeness … Etymology dictionary
noisome — fetid, stinking, *malodorous, putrid, rank, rancid, fusty, musty Analogous words: foul, nasty, squalid, filthy, *dirty: noxious, baneful, *pernicious, deleterious: loathsome, *offensive, revolting Antonyms: balmy Contrasted words: *odorous,… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
noisome — means ‘harmful, noxious’ and has nothing to do with the word noise. It comes from a Middle English word nay, related to annoy … Modern English usage
noisome — [adj] immoral, bad, offensive baneful, dangerous, deadly, deleterious, disgusting, fetid, foul, harmful, horrid, hurtful, injurious, insalubrious, insalutary, loathsome, malodorous, mephitic, mischievous, nauseating, noxious, pernicious,… … New thesaurus
noisome — ► ADJECTIVE literary 1) having an extremely offensive smell. 2) disagreeable; unpleasant. ORIGIN from obsolete noy (shortened form of ANNOY(Cf. ↑annoying)) … English terms dictionary
noisome — [noi′səm] adj. [ME noyesum < noy, aphetic < anoy < OFr anoi: see ANNOY & SOME1] 1. injurious to health; harmful 2. having a bad odor; foul smelling noisomely adv. noisomeness n … English World dictionary
noisome — [[t]nɔ͟ɪsəm[/t]] ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n If you describe something or someone as noisome, you mean that you find them extremely unpleasant. [LITERARY] Noisome vapours arise from the mud left in the docks... His noisome reputation for corruption had … English dictionary
noisome — adjective Etymology: Middle English noysome, from noy annoyance, alteration of anoi, from Anglo French anui, from anuier to harass, annoy more at annoy Date: 14th century 1. noxious, harmful 2. a. offensive to the senses and especially to the… … New Collegiate Dictionary
Noisome — Offensive to the senses and especially disgusting, offensive, or harmful to the sense of smell. For example, the smell of a chemical such as formaldehyde can be noisome. Noisome comes from the Middle English noy meaning annoyance, and enui which… … Medical dictionary
