noisome

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adjective noi·some \ ˈnȯi-səm \

Definition of noisome

1 :noxious, harmful

a noisome pestilence

2 a :offensive to the senses and especially to the sense of smell

noisome garbage

b :highly obnoxious or objectionable

noisome habits

—

noisomely

adverb

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noisomeness

noun

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Examples of noisome in a Sentence

it's no fun having asthma and living in an area with noisome smog
a noisome remark about my weight that stuck with me for days

Recent Examples of noisome from the Web

This is much more of an insult’ Venezuelan protesters are using a new and noisome weapon against the government: jars filled with their own feces.

— andrew rosati, Bloomberg.com, "Venezuelans Hurl Jars of Feces to Protest Maduro," 10 May 2017
This is much more of an insult’ Venezuelan protesters are using a new and noisome weapon against the government: jars filled with their own feces.

— andrew rosati, Bloomberg.com, "Venezuelans Hurl Jars of Feces to Protest Maduro," 10 May 2017
The sleazy policy at the heart of this noisome deal is the bank’s insistence that any customer with a dispute must bring that dispute to arbitration, not to a courtroom.

— michael hiltzik, latimes.com, "No surprise: Wells Fargo is leveraging its arbitration clause to win an advantageous scandal settlement," 31 Mar. 2017
There’s a terrible coyness about scurvy because it was supposed to be, and was, a filthy, noisome disease.

— National Geographic, "A Nightmare Disease Haunted Ships During Age of Discovery," 15 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'noisome.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Noisome sounds like it might be a synonym of noisy, but it's not. Something noisome is disgusting, offensive, or harmful, often in its smell. Noisome does not come from "noise," but from the Middle English word noysome, which has the same meaning as noisome. The noy of noisome means "annoyance," and comes from Anglo-French anui, which also means "annoyance." (As you may have already guessed, the English words annoy and annoyance are also related to noisome.)

Origin and Etymology of noisome

Middle English noysome, from noy annoyance, alteration of anoi, from Anglo-French anui, from anuier to harass, annoy — more at annoy

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First Known Use: 14th century

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noisome Synonyms

Synonyms

insalubrious, unhealthy, noxious, sickly, unhealthful, unwholesome

Antonyms

healthful, healthy

Related Words

germy, insanitary, unhygienic, unsanitary; nonnutritious; poisonous, toxic; fatal, lethal, mortal

Near Antonyms

hygienic, sanitary; nutritious

Synonym Discussion of noisome

malodorous, stinking, fetid, noisome, putrid, rank, fusty, musty mean bad-smelling. malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive.

- malodorous fertilizers

stinking and fetid suggest the foul or disgusting.

- prisoners were held in stinking cells
- the fetid odor of skunk cabbage

noisome adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive.

- a stagnant, noisome sewer

putrid implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter.

- the putrid smell of rotting fish

rank suggests a strong unpleasant smell.

- rank cigar smoke

fusty and musty suggest lack of fresh air and sunlight, fusty also implying prolonged uncleanliness, musty stressing the effects of dampness, mildew, or age.