əˈnɔɪəns ˈbɒðəɹ ˌbɒðəˈɹeɪʃn̩ ˌbɑðəˈɹeɪʃ(ə)n ɪnˈflɪkʃən ˈnusəns ˈnjuːsəns peɪn 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 (law) a broad legal concept including anything that disturbs the reasonable use of your property or endangers life and health or is offensive