What does "incommode" mean?
Something which causes inconvenience or trouble; a bother, an incommodity, an inconvenience.
Incommode
/ˌɪnkəˈməʊd/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Something which causes inconvenience or trouble; a bother, an incommodity, an inconvenience.
- Grammar: incommode is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: inconvenience, trouble, bother, derange.
- Useful contrasts: aid, assist, benefit.
- Usage evidence: [T]heir Minds are ſo tender and effeminate, that they cannot bear the leaſt Air of Trouble vvithout Diſturbance; and vvhat vvould be a Diverſion to a couragious Soul, grieveth and incommodeth them.
How to use "incommode"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "incommode" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "incommode" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "incommode" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "incommode" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "incommode" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "inconvenience" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "incommode", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Something which causes inconvenience or trouble; a bother, an incommodity, an inconvenience. formal, obsolete, transitive
"And as unto the perſonal meeting of both Princes, the vievving of the Place, and Appointing the Number to come vvith the ſaid Princes; in mine Opinion, ye have taken a right ſubſtantial and diſcrete VVay; praying you effectually to follovv the ſame, allvvays foreſeeing, that the Number be not too great, in avoiding ſundry Incommodes and Inconveniences, that might follovv thereof, as I doubt not, you can right vvell conſider."
Verb
- 1 To make (someone) uncomfortable; to discomfort, to disturb, to trouble. formal, transitive
"[T]heir Minds are ſo tender and effeminate, that they cannot bear the leaſt Air of Trouble vvithout Diſturbance; and vvhat vvould be a Diverſion to a couragious Soul, grieveth and incommodeth them."
- 2 to cause inconvenience or discomfort to wordnet
- 3 To cause (someone or something) inconvenience; to hinder, to impede, to inconvenience, to obstruct. formal, transitive
"With respect to the French Prisoners, it is the direction of the President that none be suffered to remain at Sᵗ Kitts at the expence of the U.S. a moment longer than can't be avoided – and that every public ship returning from thence to the U.S. be made to bring away as many Prisoners, as each can take, without too much incommoding the crew."
Adjective
- 1 Synonym of incommodious.; Inapt; unsuitable. formal, obsolete, transitive
"But although in the actions of vvicked men, vvhen God doth uſe them as Inſtruments for the execution of ſome peculiar vvorks, it may peradventure be ſaid, that God doth determine their vvils, yet it ſeems more incommode to ſay, that God moves and predetermines to al other acts, as to acts of hatred of God, blaſphemie, &c."
- 2 Synonym of incommodious.; Inconvenient; troublesome. formal, obsolete, transitive
"But, Madam, to be obliging to that exceſs as you are, (pardon me, if I tell you, out of my extream concern, and ſervice for your Grace) is a dangerous quality, and may be very incommode to you; for Civility makes Poets as troubleſom, as Charity makes Beggers; […]"
Example
"[T]heir Minds are ſo tender and effeminate, that they cannot bear the leaſt Air of Trouble vvithout Diſturbance; and vvhat vvould be a Diverſion to a couragious Soul, grieveth and incommodeth them."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "incommode"?
Common synonyms include: inconvenience, trouble, bother, derange, disadvantage, discommode.
How do you use "incommode" in a sentence?
[T]heir Minds are ſo tender and effeminate, that they cannot bear the leaſt Air of Trouble vvithout Diſturbance; and vvhat vvould be a Diverſion to a couragious Soul, grieveth and incommodeth them.
How do you pronounce "incommode"?
Pronounced /ˌɪnkəˈməʊd/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Learned borrowing from French incommoder (“to bother, disconcert, incommode”), from Latin incommodāre, the present active infinitive of incommodō (“to inconvenience”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + commodō (“to accommodate, adapt; to bestow, provide; to hire, lend”) (from com- (a variant of con- (prefix indicating completeness or intensification)) + modō (the ablative or singular of modus (“manner, method, way; bound, limit; measure”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure”))). The English word is analysable as in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + commode (“(archaic or obsolete) to provide (someone or something) with an appropriate, suitable, or necessary thing; to meet the requirements of (someone or something), suit; to repair (something)”).
Etymology 2
The adjective is a learned borrowing from French incommode (“causing discomfort; inconvenient; troublesome; undesirable, unwanted, unwelcome”), from Latin incommodus (“inconvenient; disagreeable, troublesome; unfit, unsuitable, unseasonable”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + commodus (“becoming, suitable; comfortable, commodious; convenient; useful; opportune, timely; friendly, pleasant”) (from com- (a variant of con-) + modus): see further at etymology 1. The English word is analysable as in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + commode (“(obsolete) convenient, opportune; suitable”). The noun is derived from the adjective.