əˈnɔɪəns ˈbɒðəɹ ˌbɒðəˈɹeɪʃn̩ ˌbɑðəˈɹeɪʃ(ə)n ɪm.pəˈzɪʃən ɪnˈflɪkʃən ˈnusəns ˈnjuːsəns peɪn an act causing pain or damage the act of imposing something (as a tax or an embargo) something or someone that causes trouble; a source of unhappiness a bit of a bother he's not a friend, he's an infliction washing dishes was a pain in the neck before we got a dish washer