noise

The word “noise” means a sound, especially one that is loud, unwanted, or unpleasant. In plain terms, unwanted or random sound, or by extension, meaningless clutter in information or data.

“Noise” is pronounced NOIHZ (/ˈnoɪ̯z/ in IPA).

Here is “noise” used in a sentence: “The construction noise outside made it hard to concentrate.”

Words with a similar meaning to “noise” include cacophony, clamour, clash, commotion, din and disquiet.

The opposite of “noise” — its antonyms — are calm, quiet and silence.

Depending on how it is used, “noise” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “noise” comes from Latin. From Old French noise ("dispute, strife"), of uncertain deeper origin, possibly related to Latin words for "disgust" or "harm.".

“Noise” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

Sound is any vibration our ears can detect, whether pleasant or not, such as music, speech, or birdsong. Noise is usually sound we do not want: loud, harsh, or distracting, like traffic or a drill. Every noise is a sound, but only unwanted or unpleasant sound is normally called noise.

Yes. Noise is measured in decibels (dB), a scale showing how loud a sound is. A quiet library sits around 30 dB, normal conversation about 60 dB, and heavy traffic or machinery well above 80 dB. Prolonged exposure to high decibel levels can be harmful, which is why noise is closely monitored at work.

It can be. Regular exposure to loud noise, roughly above 85 decibels, can gradually damage hearing, and sudden very loud sounds can harm it at once. Unwanted noise also disturbs sleep, raises stress, and makes it hard to concentrate. This is why workplaces and cities set limits on noise levels.