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''noisome'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20260904134559-00-⌔

noisome - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

Adjective

noisome (comparative more noisome, superlative most noisome)

  • (literary) Morally hurtful or noxious.
  • (literary) Hurtful or noxious to health; unwholesome, insalubrious.
    • ✤ Synonyms: injurious, noxious, unwholesome, unhealthful; see also Thesaurus: harmful
    • ✤ Antonyms: salubrious, wholesome, healthful
    • ✤ Surely he shall deliuer thee from the snare of the fouler: and from the noisome pestilence.1
    • ✤ There is a distinct sense of freedom in the solitude of the night. The day’s atmosphere is surcharged with noisome anxiety, the hours laden with impending terrors. But the night is soothing.2
  • (literary) Offensive to the senses; disgusting, unpleasant, nauseous, especially having an undesirable smell.
    • ✤ Synonyms: foul, fetid, sickening, nauseating, malodorous, stinking
    • ✤ Antonyms: fragrant, sweet-smelling, aromatic
    • ✤ Foule words is but foule wind, and foule wind is but foule breath, and foule breath is noiſome, therefore I will depart vnkist.3
    • ✤ And then, ſo nice, and ſo genteel;/Such Cleanlineſs from Head to Heel:/No Humours groſs, or frowzy Steams,/No noiſom Whiffs, or ſweaty Streams,/Before, behind, above, below,/Could from her taintleſs Body flow.4

Etymology

From Middle English noysom; equivalent to noy +‎ -some (short for annoy, from an(n)oien, enoien from Anglo-Norman anuier, from Old French enuier (French ennuyer), from Late Latin inodiare, from in- (intensive prefix) + odium (“hate”)).5

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈnɔɪ.səm/
  • Audio (US): 🔊
  • Hyphenation: noi‧some
  • Rhymes: -ɔɪsəm

Printed 2026-09-04.

(echo:: @ ⌗)

Footnotes

  1. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 91:3: ↩

  2. 1912, Alexander Berkman, chapter 6, in Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist: ↩

  3. 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 120: ↩

  4. 1731, [Jonathan Swift], “Strephon and Chloe”, in A Beautiful Young Nymph Going to Bed. […], Dublin; London: […] [William Bowyer] for J. Roberts […], published 1734, →OCLC, page 8: ↩

  5. Wordsmith’s entry for noisome ↩

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Secondary

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