Noisome
/ˈnɔɪsəm/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Noisome describes something that smells very bad or is harmful and unpleasant. It often refers to smells that make people feel sick or uncomfortable. It can also describe things that are offensive or harmful in a broader sense, not just smells.
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See It in Action
Having a very bad or offensive smell
- •The noisome smell from the factory made it hard to breathe.
- •They avoided the noisome alley because of the garbage and waste.
- •The noisome odor of rotten eggs filled the room.
Harmful or offensive in a general way (not just smell)
- •The noisome pollution in the city caused health problems.
- •His noisome behavior made everyone uncomfortable.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "noisome" like "smelly," but much stronger and more unpleasant—like a bad smell that makes you want to leave quickly
- ✓Picture a garbage bin left in the sun for days, with a strong, awful smell that fills the air
- ✓It's the feeling when you accidentally step into something dirty and the bad smell stays with you
- ✓Sounds like "NOY-sum" → imagine a noisy sound mixed with a bad smell making you want to cover your nose
- ✓In stories, noisome places are often dark, dirty, and full of bad smells, like old swamps or trash heaps
- ✓NOT like "stinky" (a common, mild bad smell), noisome is stronger and can also mean harmful, not just smelly
- ✓NOT like "pleasant" or "fresh," noisome is the opposite—something you want to avoid because it is offensive to your senses
Try Other Words
- •Foul: very bad smell or taste (Use when the smell is very strong and unpleasant)
- •Offensive: causing dislike or hurt feelings (Use when something is harmful or unpleasant beyond smell)
- •Noxious: harmful or poisonous (Use when the smell or thing can cause health problems)
- •Disgusting: causing strong dislike or disgust (Use when focusing on strong unpleasantness)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (possibly from Old French "noisif" meaning harmful, with "-some" suffix meaning "full of" or "causing")
- •Etymology: From Middle English, from Old French "noisome," meaning harmful or hurtful
- •Historical development: Originally meant harmful or hurtful, especially by smell or poison; over time also came to mean very unpleasant or offensive
- •Modern usage: Used mostly in formal or literary English to describe bad smells or harmful conditions, often stronger than everyday words like "smelly"
Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of a place or situation that you would describe as noisome? What made it so unpleasant?
•How does the word noisome help you understand the difference between bad smells that are just annoying and those that are harmful or very offensive?
Fill in the blanks
1.The factory emitted a ___ noisome ___ odor that made nearby residents complain.
2.People avoid the ___ noisome ___ swamp because the smell is unbearable and the air feels ___ unhealthy ___.
3.Unlike a simple bad smell, a noisome smell can ___ cause ___ sickness or discomfort.
4.When the garbage was left to rot in the sun, it created a ___ noisome ___ atmosphere in the neighborhood.
5.The city's ___ noisome ___ pollution problem made many people ___ worried ___ about their health.
6.His ___ noisome ___ habits made it difficult for others to be around him comfortably.
7.The word noisome is often used to describe smells that are much ___ stronger ___ than just "stinky" or "smelly."