inconvenience
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a small problem or trouble that makes something more difficult for you.
n.a state or instance of trouble, difficulty, or discomfort. Often used in formal apologies for service disruptions.
Simple“The road repairs are a big inconvenience for people driving to work.”
In context“The sudden cancellation of the train caused considerable inconvenience to the commuters who had already purchased non-refundable tickets.”
UsageCommonly used as an uncountable noun for the general state of trouble, or a countable noun for a specific event.
Antonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
v.to cause someone a small problem or to make them do extra work.
v.to cause trouble, discomfort, or extra work for someone. Transitive; typically used in polite or formal contexts.
Simple“I hope it doesn't inconvenience you if we move the meeting to tomorrow.”
In context“The manager apologised profusely for having to inconvenience the guests by moving them to a different wing of the hotel during the renovation.”
UsageTakes a direct object, usually a person or a group of people.
“Yet for many, myself included, the high temperatures brought nothing more than inconvenience – uncomfortable commutes, heat rash, less time outdoors.”
“If the Z Fold 8 Ultra doesn’t quite make it all the way to bedtime, you won’t be terribly inconvenienced.”
From Middle English inconvenience, from Old French inconvenience (“misfortune, calamity, impropriety”) (compare French inconvenance (“impropriety”) and inconvénient (“inconvenience”)), from Late Latin inconvenientia (“inconsistency, incongruity”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.