First Known Use: 1534
Dictionary
1inconvenience
noun in·con·ve·nience \ˌin-kən-ˈvē-nyən(t)s\
: trouble or problems
: something that causes trouble or problems : something that is inconvenient
Full Definition of INCONVENIENCE
1
: something that is inconvenient
2
: the quality or state of being inconvenient
See inconvenience defined for English-language learners
See inconvenience defined for kids
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Examples of INCONVENIENCE
- Needham was sorry to see him go, for although his high-handedness … had caused some inconvenience, his intelligence and courage were of the first water. —Simon Winchester, The Man Who Loved China, 2008
- Any wish or even longing I might have to see her produced no results; sometimes when she showed up it was actually inconvenient, but frustrated longing and inconvenience both ended the same way … —Jane Smiley, Good Faith, 2003
- Jem knew as well as I that it was difficult to walk fast without stumping a toe, tripping on stones, and other inconveniences, and I was barefooted. —Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
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Origin of INCONVENIENCE
Middle English, misfortune, inconsistency, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin inconvenientia, from Latin inconvenient-, inconveniens
Related to INCONVENIENCE
- Synonyms
- aggravation, aggro [British], bother, botheration, bugbear, exasperation, frustration, hair shirt, hassle, headache, annoyance, irk, irritant, nuisance, peeve, pest, rub, ruffle, thorn, trial, vexation
2inconvenience
verb in·con·ve·nience \ˌin-kən-ˈvē-nyən(t)s\
: to cause trouble or problems for (someone)
in·con·ve·niencedin·con·ve·nienc·ing
Full Definition of INCONVENIENCE
transitive verb
: to cause problems or trouble for : subject to inconvenience <sorry to inconvenience you>
See inconvenience defined for English-language learners
Examples of INCONVENIENCE
- … I could count on one of my aunts to insist that she take me to some far-off corner of Nairobi to find the best bargains, no matter how long the trip took or how much it might inconvenience her. —Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father, (1995) 2004
- The work was inconvenienced by the time of year, there being only about three hours of natural light per day, but the pyroclastic spectacle made the darkness photogenic. —John McPhee, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 1988
- Medieval manuscripts are turgid with abbreviations, which favor the copyist although they inconvenience the reader. —Walter J. Ong, Orality and Literacy, (1982) 2002
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Origin of INCONVENIENCE
(see 1inconvenience)
First Known Use: circa 1656
Related to INCONVENIENCE
- Antonyms
- accommodate, favor, oblige
INCONVENIENCE Defined for Kids
1inconvenience
noun in·con·ve·nience \ˌin-kən-ˈvē-nyəns\
Definition of INCONVENIENCE for Kids
1
: trouble or difficulty : lack of convenience <The delay caused great inconvenience.>
2
: something that causes trouble or difficulty <These changes are such an inconvenience.>
2inconvenience
verb
in·con·ve·niencedin·con·ve·nienc·ing
Definition of INCONVENIENCE for Kids
: to cause difficulties for <Will a visit inconvenience you?>
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