incommode
C2Formal, literary
Definition
Meaning
To cause someone inconvenience or mild trouble; to disturb or trouble someone.
To put someone to inconvenience; to hinder or obstruct in a way that causes mild discomfort or annoyance. It can also refer to a state of being inconvenienced.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word 'incommode' implies a degree of inconvenience or trouble that is more than trivial but stops short of severe hardship or extreme distress. It carries a somewhat old-fashioned or elevated tone and is often used with a degree of understatement or politeness.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The word is equally rare and formal in both varieties. There is no significant difference in meaning or usage patterns between BrE and AmE for this word.
Connotations
In both varieties, it carries connotations of polite, often upper-class, understatement. It is a word more likely found in written prose than in speech.
Frequency
Very low frequency in contemporary use in both BrE and AmE, largely confined to formal or literary contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Verb] + [Direct Object] (Person)[Verb] + [Reflexive Pronoun]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this word.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used. Might appear in very formal correspondence: 'We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and hope it does not incommode your schedule.'
Academic
Used in historical or literary analysis to describe social interactions or plot developments: 'The protagonist's arrival incommoded the carefully arranged household.'
Everyday
Extremely rare. Almost never used in casual conversation.
Technical
Not used in technical contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- I hope my early departure did not incommode the host.
- We must take care not to incommode the other residents with our noise.
American English
- The road construction will incommode local traffic for several weeks.
- Please let me know if this time would incommode you in any way.
adverb
British English
- The furniture was arranged incommodiously, blocking the main passage.
- He slept incommodiously on the narrow sofa.
American English
- The wires ran incommodiously across the floor, creating a tripping hazard.
- She was seated incommodiously at the far end of the table.
adjective
British English
- The incommodious quarters made the long voyage difficult.
- They were forced to stay in an incommodious attic room.
American English
- The incommodious layout of the office hindered collaboration.
- He found the seat on the bus to be quite incommodious.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Sorry to incommode you, but could you move your bag?
- The sudden influx of visitors greatly incommoded the small hotel staff.
- I would not wish to incommode you by arriving so late.
- The new security protocols, while necessary, are likely to incommode regular commuters.
- The author refused to incommode herself by adhering to the publisher's tight deadlines.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'INconvenience' and 'acCOMMODate'. 'Incommode' is the opposite of accommodate; it means to cause inconvenience.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIAL SPACE AS PHYSICAL SPACE (To incommode someone is to intrude upon or disrupt their personal or social 'space').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with Russian 'неудобный' (uncomfortable). 'Incommode' is an action (verb), not a state (adjective). The closer conceptual verb is 'доставлять неудобства' or 'стеснять'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as an adjective (e.g., 'I feel incommode'). Correct form for the adjective is 'incommodious'.
- Confusing it with 'accommodate'.
- Using it in informal contexts where 'bother' or 'inconvenience' is more natural.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 'incommode' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Incommode' is a more formal, literary, and somewhat old-fashioned synonym for 'inconvenience'. In modern usage, 'inconvenience' is vastly more common and natural.
Yes, though it's rare. It means to put oneself to trouble or inconvenience, often unnecessarily: 'She incommoded herself by taking a long detour.'
It is also rare and formal. It means 'uncomfortably small or restricted', similar to 'cramped' or 'uncomfortable'. It is used more often than the verb 'incommode'.
You are most likely to encounter it in 18th or 19th-century literature, historical fiction, or in very formal, polite requests in contemporary writing that aims for an archaic or highly refined tone.