Noisome

NOY-sum

Definition

(adjective) Having an extremely offensive smell; or generally unpleasant or harmful.

Example

The noisome odor from the dumpster drifted across the parking lot.

Fun Fact

Despite sounding like “noisy,” the word actually has nothing to do with sound. It comes from Middle English noy (meaning harm or annoyance), which also gave rise to “annoy.” Today, it’s a favorite in horror novels and urban planning reports alike.

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