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
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
My reluctance isn’t due to any potential inconvenience or legal liability, but rather the fear of facing a sick passenger without the basic equipment or medications needed to help them.
—Tushara Surapaneni, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Jan. 2026
Some parents confused or inconvenienced by the changing recommendations around vaccinations will ultimately choose to immunize their children anyway.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inconvenience
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Noun
Jacob Bethell, their great batting hope amid the debris of this tour, stood tall at the SCG to compile a sublime unbeaten 142 and extend the hosts’ inconvenience into this concluding fifth Test’s last day.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
My reluctance isn’t due to any potential inconvenience or legal liability, but rather the fear of facing a sick passenger without the basic equipment or medications needed to help them.
—Tushara Surapaneni, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Verb
Segura and Pazsitzky are not the only stars who have been inconvenienced by the ongoing operation.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Jan. 2026
Some parents confused or inconvenienced by the changing recommendations around vaccinations will ultimately choose to immunize their children anyway.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 6 Jan. 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 Jan. 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
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