noisy
NOY-zee
Noisy (adj) means making a loud or unpleasant sound. Example: “The noisy engine made it hard to hold a conversation in the car.”
adj
1
Making a loud or unpleasant sound.
"The noisy engine made it hard to hold a conversation in the car."
"Their neighbors are noisy every weekend."
"The old fridge is so noisy that it wakes me up at night."
2
Full of noise or commotion.
"The market was noisy and crowded on a Saturday morning."
"It was a noisy classroom, with chairs scraping and children shouting across the room."
"We found a quieter table because the cafe was too noisy near the door."
3
Containing random variation that obscures the true signal or data.
"The dataset was too noisy to draw firm conclusions from."
"The readings from the cheap sensor are noisy, so we average them over an hour."
"A noisy signal makes it difficult to tell a real change from random error."
How to use noisy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFull of loud sound, or (in data/signal contexts) cluttered with random variation.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
noisy neighbors
noisy environment
noisy data
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like noisy.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Comparative
- noisier
- Superlative
- noisiest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ engine made it hard to hold a conversation in the car.
Etymology
Formed from "noise" plus the adjective ending "-y."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for noisy
See all rhymes for noisy →Frequently asked questions
What does “noisy” mean?
The word “noisy” means making a loud or unpleasant sound. In plain terms, full of loud sound, or (in data/signal contexts) cluttered with random variation.
How do you pronounce “noisy”?
“Noisy” is pronounced NOY-zee (/ˈnɔɪzi/ in IPA).
How do you use “noisy” in a sentence?
Here is “noisy” used in a sentence: “The noisy engine made it hard to hold a conversation in the car.”
What is another word for “noisy”?
Words with a similar meaning to “noisy” include blaring, blasting, booming, cacophonous, clangorous and clamorous.
What is the opposite of “noisy”?
The opposite of “noisy” — its antonyms — are quiet and silent.
What part of speech is “noisy”?
“Noisy” is an adjective.
Is “noisy” a common word?
“Noisy” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “noisy” have?
“Noisy” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: making a loud or unpleasant sound.
What is the difference between noisy and loud?
Loud simply describes the volume or intensity of a sound, while noisy more often implies an unpleasant, chaotic, or disruptive quality to the sound or environment, such as full of commotion. A single loud noise may not be noisy, but a noisy room typically has many competing, unwanted sounds.
What does noisy mean when talking about data?
In statistics, science, and data analysis, noisy describes data containing random variation or interference that obscures the true underlying signal or pattern. A noisy dataset makes it harder to detect real trends because irrelevant fluctuations mask them.
Are noisy and noisome the same word?
No, these are commonly confused but unrelated. Noisy relates to sound, while noisome is an older word meaning offensive or disgusting, usually describing a smell rather than a sound.
What are common collocations with noisy?
Noisy is frequently paired with words like neighbors, environment, classroom, engine, and crowd, describing settings or things that produce loud or unpleasant sound or commotion.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include noisy:
