noise
gb/nˈɔɪz/ us/nˈɔɪz/
A2
English
~ 1800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Unpleasant or disturbing sound
A loud or unpleasant sound that you do not want to hear.
Usage pattern:
[noise] from [something/somewhere]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'noise' with 'voice'; 'voice' refers to a person's speech, not general sounds.
Synonyms
sound (General term for anything heard; not necessarily unpleasant.)
|
din (Suggests a loud, continuous, and often confusing noise.)
Antonyms
silence (The complete absence of sound, opposite of noise.)
Collocations
background noise
|traffic noise
|loud noise
|reduce noise
|noise level
Themes
daily life
|environment
|emotions
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The noise from the construction site kept her awake all night.
- I could barely hear him over the noise of the crowd.
- The baby cried because of the sudden loud noise.
- They complained about the constant noise coming from the street.
- Closing the windows helps block out the traffic noise.
Learner examples
- The noise is very loud.
- I hear noise from the street.
- There is a lot of noise in the room.
- We cannot sleep because of the noise.
Noun
B2
entity
2
Unwanted signal interference
Extra signals that make it hard to hear, see, or read the real information.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this technical sense with general loud sounds; here it refers to signal distortion, not just volume.
Synonyms
interference (Specifically refers to disruption in communication or signal systems.)
Antonyms
clarity (Refers to a signal being clean and easy to understand, opposite of noisy.)
Collocations
signal noise
|electrical noise
|digital noise
|reduce noise
|background noise
Themes
technology
|science
|communication
Examples
- The engineer adjusted the settings to remove the background noise from the recording.
- Too much electrical noise can cause errors in data transmission.
- This microphone has a filter to reduce noise in outdoor recordings.
Learner examples
- The radio has a lot of noise.
- Noise makes the picture bad.
- We need to remove the noise from the sound file.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
3
Public talk or reaction about something
Talk or comments from many people about something important or new.
Usage pattern:
make [a lot of] noise about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think it means literal sound; here it refers to attention and talk.
Synonyms
fuss (Informal; often implies unnecessary attention or excitement.)
Antonyms
silence (No public comment or attention given.)
Collocations
make noise
|public noise
|media noise
Themes
media
|society
|communication
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The media made a lot of noise about the new law.
- There's been some noise online about the company's decision.
- Activists are making noise about climate change policies.
Learner examples
- People make noise about this problem.
- The news made a lot of noise about it.
- There is much noise in social media.
Verb
C1
action
4
To express public complaint or concern
To say in public that you are unhappy about something, often many times.
Usage pattern:
noise about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'noise' as a verb with making literal sound; here it means talking publicly about an issue.
Synonyms
protest (Stronger and more organized than 'noise', which may be casual talk.)
Antonyms
ignore (To deliberately pay no attention to something instead of speaking out.)
Collocations
noise complaints
|noised abroad
Themes
society
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Several groups have been noising about the lack of funding.
- He noised his concerns about safety to the local press.
- They've been noising abroad their dissatisfaction with the service.
Learner examples
- They noise about the bad service.
- People noise about the new rules.
- He noised his ideas to everyone.
Grammar
Dictionary form
noise
IPA
GB/nˈɔɪz/
US/nˈɔɪz/
Syllables & stress
noise (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (noise)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: noise
- Plural: noise, noises
Verb
- Base: noise
- 3rd Person Singular: noises
- Present Participle: noising
- Past: noised
Word family
Expressions
background noise
1/bˈækɡɹˌaʊnd nˈɔɪz/
fixed phrase
Constant unwanted sound around you
Sounds around you that you do not want and are not part of what you are listening to.
Examples
- I can’t concentrate with all this background noise.
- The cafe’s background noise made it hard to hear her.
cut through the noise
1/kˈʌt θɹˈu ðə nˈɔɪz/
idiom
informal
Get noticed despite distractions
To make people pay attention even when there are many other things happening or being said.
Examples
- Her message cut through the noise of social media chatter.
- We need a strong campaign to cut through the political noise.
make a noise about
1/mˈeɪk ə nˈɔɪz əbˈaʊt/
idiom
informal
Complain publicly about something
To say in public that you are unhappy about something so people notice it.
Examples
- Residents are making a noise about the new parking rules.
- She made a lot of noise about unfair treatment at work.
signal-to-noise ratio
1/sˈɪɡnəl tə nˈɔɪz ɹˈeɪʃioʊ/
fixed phrase
technical
Ratio of useful signal to interference
A number that shows how much clear information there is compared to unwanted signals in communication or data.
Examples
- A higher signal-to-noise ratio means better sound quality.
- They improved the signal-to-noise ratio by upgrading the equipment.
white noise
1/wˈaɪt nˈɔɪz/
fixed phrase
technical
Equal-frequency constant sound
A steady sound that has all sound frequencies mixed together equally, often used to block other sounds.
Examples
- I use white noise to help me sleep.
- White noise machines can reduce distractions in open offices.