noI səm
adjective
definition 1. offensive or disgusting, esp. in smell; foul.
example: The field hospital was a noisome place that reeked of human filth and human misery.
How to remember this word’s meaning
The meaning of this word is not easy to guess and may be hard to remember because it looks like it might be formed from the base word “noise” plus the adjective-forming suffix, “-some.” However, if we remove the suffix “-some” from the word, we are left with “noi,” the real root in this word–and the same root that appears in the word “annoy.” In Middle English, “noy” meant “annoyance,” “trouble,” “harm or injury.” If you remember the connection between “annoy” and “noisome,” and also think of “noisome” as “NOSE-some” (even though there is no etymological link at all here with “nose”), you should increase your chances of recalling this word’s meaning when you next encounter it.