- Today's Word
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.