noise
A2Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A sound, especially one that is loud, unpleasant, or disturbing.
Any kind of undesired signal or interference, irrelevant or meaningless data/information, or general disturbance (in non-acoustic contexts).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a countable or uncountable noun. In technical fields (e.g., engineering, statistics), refers to random variations that obscure meaningful data. Often implies a negative judgement when used for sound.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is nearly identical. Minor differences exist in collocational frequency (e.g., 'make a noise' is slightly more common in UK English).
Connotations
Identical; consistently carries potential negative connotations of unwanted disturbance.
Frequency
Extremely common in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
make + noisehear + a noisethere is/was + noisenoise + from + sourcenoise + of + noundrowned out by + noiseVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “make a noise about something”
- “big noise”
- “noises off”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to irrelevant information that obscures important market signals (e.g., 'Ignore the noise and focus on the data.').
Academic
In statistics/physics, refers to random fluctuations in data or interference in signals.
Everyday
Unwanted or loud sound from neighbours, traffic, appliances, etc.
Technical
Unwanted electrical or electromagnetic interference, random errors in data transmission or measurement.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The media are noising about the scandal.
- It was noised abroad that he would resign.
American English
- Rumors were noised throughout the company.
- The story was noised around town.
adjective
British English
- The noise-cancelling headphones are brilliant.
- We need a noise assessment report.
American English
- The noise-reduction feature is key.
- They installed a noise barrier along the highway.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The children are making too much noise.
- I heard a strange noise last night.
- There's constant noise from the building site next door.
- Could you try to reduce the background noise on the recording?
- The government's announcement was lost in the noise of the daily news cycle.
- The signal was weak, obscured by electrical noise.
- Investors must distinguish between market signal and mere noise.
- The statistical analysis filters out the noise to reveal the underlying trend.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine an annoying boy named **Noi** who **S**houts and **E**nds your peace. NOI + S + E = NOISE.
Conceptual Metaphor
INFORMATION IS SOUND; Irrelevant information is noise (e.g., 'signal-to-noise ratio').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'noise' for pleasant sounds (like music) – Russian 'шум' can be neutral, but English 'noise' is usually negative.
- Do not confuse with 'sound' (neutral) or 'voice' (голос).
Common Mistakes
- Using as a countable noun for a single sound source ('I heard a noise from the attic' is correct).
- Using 'sound' and 'noise' interchangeably without considering the negative connotation of 'noise'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'noise' used metaphorically?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically yes, especially for sound. It implies an unwanted, disturbing, or irrelevant sound/signal. In rare, jocular contexts it can be neutral ('the happy noise of children playing').
'Sound' is the general, neutral term for anything heard. 'Noise' is a type of sound that is loud, unpleasant, chaotic, or meaningless.
Yes, but it's archaic and rare. It means 'to spread news or rumours about' (e.g., 'It was noised abroad that he was leaving').
It is a technical term for a consistent sound containing many frequencies with equal intensities, often used to mask other sounds. Metaphorically, it means meaningless or distracting information.