Word: noisome (adjective)

Associations

The word "noisome" means something very unpleasant, especially because of a bad smell. It can also mean something harmful or offensive. It is not commonly used in everyday speech but appears more in formal or literary contexts.

• "The noisome smell from the garbage made everyone leave the room." Here, "noisome" describes a very bad smell.
• "They had to leave the noisome swamp because it was full of harmful gases." Here, it means harmful or dangerous.
• "The noisome rumors hurt her reputation." In this case, it means offensive or harmful in a non-physical way.

Synonym: "foul" — Both mean bad smell, but "foul" is more common and informal, while "noisome" is more formal or literary.

Substitution

Instead of "noisome," you can use:

• "foul" (for bad smell)
• "offensive" (for something unpleasant or harmful)
• "noxious" (for harmful or poisonous things) Changing the word can make the sentence sound more casual or more formal depending on the choice.

Deconstruction

• Root: The word "noisome" comes from Old English "noysum," which means "offensive" or "annoying."
• "Nois-" is related to "noise" in sound, but here it means annoyance, not sound.
• "-some" is a suffix meaning "causing" or "tending to." So, "noisome" means "causing annoyance or harm."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a place or situation where you experienced a noisome smell?
• How would you describe a noisome environment at work or school?
• Can you use "noisome" to describe something other than smell? What about ideas or feelings?