Meaning & use
constant nuisance
Last updated
Meanings
phrasecountable
Someone or something that is annoying all the time and never stops being a problem.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a constant nuisance' or 'constant nuisances'.
Patterns
- be a constant nuisance
- a constant nuisance to someone
The neighbor's dog is a constant nuisance, barking at every car that passes.
Mosquitoes are a constant nuisance in the summer months.
The broken elevator has been a constant nuisance for everyone in the building.
phrasecountableinformal
A person who repeatedly bothers or annoys others.
Grammar: Often used with 'to' to say who is annoyed: 'a constant nuisance to his sister'.
Patterns
- be a constant nuisance to someone
- a constant nuisance at school
My little brother can be a constant nuisance when I'm trying to study.
She was a constant nuisance to the teacher, asking questions all the time.
Common combinations
- be a constant nuisance
- The leaky faucet is a constant nuisance in our apartment.
- become a constant nuisance
- The stray cat became a constant nuisance after we started feeding it.
- a constant nuisance to someone
- The construction noise is a constant nuisance to the residents.
- a constant nuisance for someone
- The new software bug is a constant nuisance for the support team.
- find something a constant nuisance
- Many drivers find the potholes a constant nuisance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- constant annoyance
- Very similar, but 'annoyance' can also refer to the feeling of being annoyed, while 'nuisance' usually refers to the thing or person causing it.
- persistent problem
- Focuses on the difficulty of solving the problem, not on the annoyance it causes.
- pest
- More informal and often used for insects or animals, or for a person who is annoying.
Opposites
Commonly confused: constant nuisance or constant? constant nuisance or nuisance?
constant nuisance vs constant
Don't confuse 'constant nuisance' with just 'constant'. 'Constant' alone means happening all the time; 'nuisance' adds the idea of annoyance.
constant nuisance vs nuisance
'Nuisance' alone can be a one-time annoyance, but 'constant nuisance' stresses that it never stops.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'constant nuisance' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly uses 'a constant nuisance' as a noun phrase. Option 1 uses it as a verb, which is wrong. Option 2 is missing 'a'. Option 3 uses it as a verb and lacks 'a'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “constant nuisance”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.