nuisance
A person or thing that makes you feel annoyed or causes small problems, often again and again.
A person, thing, or situation that annoys people or causes inconvenience or small trouble, especially repeatedly.
In legal English, a "nuisance" is an action or situation that the law says wrongly harms people’s use of their land or public spaces, so someone can take the case to court.
In law, an act, condition, or situation that unlawfully interferes with the use or enjoyment of land or with public rights, and may give rise to a civil or criminal action.
- Base: nuisance
- Plural: nuisances
be a nuisance
1cause annoyance or trouble
To annoy people or cause them small problems.
- I hope I’m not being a nuisance by calling so late.
- The broken printer has been a real nuisance this week.
- Street vendors can be a nuisance if they keep blocking the sidewalk.
make a nuisance of oneself
1behave in an annoyingly disruptive way
To behave in a way that bothers people around you, especially again and again, so that they feel you are a problem.
- I don’t want to make a nuisance of myself, so I’ll keep the visit short.
- The kids were making a nuisance of themselves in the library and were asked to leave.
- Please don’t make a nuisance of yourself by blocking the doorway.
nuisance call
1unwanted or annoying phone call
An unwanted and annoying phone call, for example from people trying to sell something or from prank callers.
- She installed an app to block nuisance calls from telemarketers.
- The new rules aim to reduce nuisance calls to elderly people.
- I keep getting nuisance calls in the middle of the night.
nuisance tax
1small but annoying tax
A tax that does not raise much money but is annoying for people or businesses to deal with.
- Some argue that the fee is just a nuisance tax that should be removed.
- The mayor promised to eliminate several nuisance taxes on small businesses.
- Critics call the charge a nuisance tax that creates paperwork without real benefit.
nuisance value
1value from ability to cause trouble
The worth that something has only because it can cause problems or extra cost for someone else, for example in legal or business negotiations.
- The lawsuit had little chance of success but some nuisance value, so the company chose to settle.
- They offered a small payment just to get rid of the claim’s nuisance value.
- The patent was kept mainly for its nuisance value against competitors.
private nuisance
1legal interference with private land use
In law, a situation where one person’s actions stop another person from using and enjoying their own land in a normal way.
- The constant smoke from the restaurant’s kitchen was found to be a private nuisance.
- She sued her neighbor for private nuisance because of the loud parties every weekend.
- Private nuisance cases often involve noise, smell, or pollution from nearby property.
public nuisance
1harmful condition affecting the public
A legal or official term for something that harms or greatly annoys many people in a community, such as a dangerous building or very loud noise.
- The city declared the abandoned warehouse a public nuisance.
- Illegal dumping along the river has become a serious public nuisance.
- The council is considering new rules to deal with public nuisances like constant nighttime noise.
what a nuisance
1expression of mild annoyance
Used to say that something is annoying or causes a small problem, but is not very serious.
- The train’s been cancelled again? What a nuisance.
- What a nuisance that it started raining just as we went out.
- I’ve lost my keys—what a nuisance!