Word of the Day : November 21, 2018

noisome \NOY-sum\ adjective

Definition

1 : noxious, harmful

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

b : highly obnoxious or objectionable

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. Noysome was formed by combining the noun noy, which means "annoyance," with the adjectival suffix -some ("characterized by a (specified) thing, quality, state, or action"). Noy 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.

Aired November 21, 2018

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