in·con·ve·nience
ˌin-kən-ˈvē-nyən(t)s 
1
: something that is inconvenient
Parking in the city can be an inconvenience.
2
: the quality or state of being inconvenient
I hope the delay doesn't cause you any inconvenience.
in·con·ve·nience
ˌin-kən-ˈvē-nyən(t)s
inconvenienced; inconveniencing
: to cause problems or trouble for : subject to inconvenience
sorry to inconvenience you
Examples of inconvenience in a Sentence
Noun
Needham was sorry to see him go, for although his high-handedness … had caused some inconvenience, his intelligence and courage were of the first water.
—
Simon Winchester, The Man Who Loved China, 2008
Any wish or even longing I might have to see her produced no results; sometimes when she showed up it was actually inconvenient, but frustrated longing and inconvenience both ended the same way …
—Jane Smiley, Good Faith, 2003
Jem knew as well as I that it was difficult to walk fast without stumping a toe, tripping on stones, and other inconveniences, and I was barefooted.
—Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
I hope this delay doesn't cause you any inconvenience.
Bridge repairs cannot be done without some inconvenience to the public.
Parking in the city can be a major inconvenience.
The delay was an inconvenience.
Verb
… I could count on one of my aunts to insist that she take me to some far-off corner of Nairobi to find the best bargains, no matter how long the trip took or how much it might inconvenience her.
—Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father, (1995) 2004
Medieval manuscripts are turgid with abbreviations, which favor the copyist although they inconvenience the reader.
—Walter J. Ong, Orality and Literacy, (1982) 2002
The work was inconvenienced by the time of year, there being only about three hours of natural light per day, but the pyroclastic spectacle made the darkness photogenic.
—John McPhee, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 1988
I wouldn't want to inconvenience you.
We were inconvenienced by the bad weather.
Simon Winchester, The Man Who Loved China, 2008
Any wish or even longing I might have to see her produced no results; sometimes when she showed up it was actually inconvenient, but frustrated longing and inconvenience both ended the same way …
—Jane Smiley, Good Faith, 2003
Jem knew as well as I that it was difficult to walk fast without stumping a toe, tripping on stones, and other inconveniences, and I was barefooted.
—Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
I hope this delay doesn't cause you any inconvenience.
Bridge repairs cannot be done without some inconvenience to the public.
Parking in the city can be a major inconvenience.
The delay was an inconvenience.
Verb
… I could count on one of my aunts to insist that she take me to some far-off corner of Nairobi to find the best bargains, no matter how long the trip took or how much it might inconvenience her.
—Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father, (1995) 2004
Medieval manuscripts are turgid with abbreviations, which favor the copyist although they inconvenience the reader.
—Walter J. Ong, Orality and Literacy, (1982) 2002
The work was inconvenienced by the time of year, there being only about three hours of natural light per day, but the pyroclastic spectacle made the darkness photogenic.
—John McPhee, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 1988
I wouldn't want to inconvenience you.
We were inconvenienced by the bad weather.
Recent Examples on the Web
Luzdelia Caballero, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Singh believes this model allows members to simply show up and play, without the inconvenience of coordinating with others or paying additional fees.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
If a magazine story produced a burst of negative attention that inconvenienced or endangered the people who worked for her, that would fall on her, too.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inconvenience
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Despite that, Bunnell and his neighbor, Tom Williams, who received the same notice, are frustrated by the inconvenience.
—Luzdelia Caballero, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Singh believes this model allows members to simply show up and play, without the inconvenience of coordinating with others or paying additional fees.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
Someone needs to tell them to stay on the East Coast — at least, until the precedent set by last week’s action in the Gulf provides the basis for a similar rule along the East Coast, particularly in New England where the whales’ modest protections have inconvenienced commercial fishing boats.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
If a magazine story produced a burst of negative attention that inconvenienced or endangered the people who worked for her, that would fall on her, too.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inconvenience
Cite this Entry
“Inconvenience.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inconvenience. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inconvenience
1 of 2 noun
in·con·ve·nience
ˌin-kən-ˈvē-nyən(t)s
1
: something that is inconvenient
2
: the quality or state of being inconvenient
inconvenience
2 of 2 verb
inconvenienced; inconveniencing
: to cause discomfort to : put to trouble
inconvenienced by the bad weather
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
