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Added 9 October 2026

noise

/ˈnoɪ̯z/ noun

In Latin: strepitus, clangor Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about noise at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Various sounds, usually unwanted or unpleasant.
He knew that it was trash day, when the garbage collectors made all the noise.
Any sound.
The sudden noise made everyone jump.
Sound or signal generated by random fluctuations.

verb

To make a noise; to sound.
To spread news of; to spread as rumor or gossip.
an ugly story that was being noised about in newsrooms across the nation

Origin

From Middle English noyse, noise, from Old French noise (“a dispute, wrangle, strife, noise”), of uncertain origin. According to some, from Latin nausia, nausea (“disgust, nausea”); according to others, from Latin noxia (“hurt, harm, damage, injury”); but neither explanation is satisfactory in regard to either form or sense. Potentially a reduced form of Old French enoiier (“to bother, to disturb”), from Latin inodio (“to make repulsive”) - which would make it a doublet of English annoy (“to bother, to irritate”) and English ennui (“boredom, jadedness, depression”). Compare Piedmontese nojé (“to bother, to annoy”), though this fails to explain the final /z/.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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