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British

obnoxious

[ uhb-nok-shuhs ]

/ əbˈnɒk ʃəs /

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See synonyms for: obnoxious / obnoxiously on Thesaurus.com

adjective

highly objectionable or offensive; odious: obnoxious behavior.

annoying or objectionable due to being a show-off or attracting undue attention to oneself: an obnoxious little brat.

Archaic. exposed or liable to harm, evil, or anything objectionable.

Obsolete. liable to punishment or censure; reprehensible.

OPPOSITES FOR obnoxious

See antonyms for obnoxious on Thesaurus.com

VIDEO FOR OBNOXIOUS

"Obnoxious" Used To Have A Very Sinister Meaning

Once upon a time, 1578 to be exact, the word "obnoxious" was born.

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of obnoxious

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin obnoxiōsus “harmful,” equivalent to ob- “to, toward, against,” + noxiōsus “harmful”; see ob-, noxious

synonym study for obnoxious

1. See hateful.

OTHER WORDS FROM obnoxious

ob·nox·ious·ly, adverbob·nox·ious·ness, nounun·ob·nox·i·ous, adjectiveun·ob·nox·i·ous·ly, adverb

Words nearby obnoxious

oblong, oblongata, obloquy, obmutescence, obnounce, obnoxious, obnubilate, oboe, oboe da caccia, oboe d'amore, oboe d'amour

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use obnoxious in a sentence

That made it hard to ignore obnoxious contacts or ones you’d prefer to forget.
10 tips for making your group chats less terrible|empire|August 13, 2021|Popular-Science
In 2010’s start-up culture, “innovation and disruption were ascendant and critical questions were often dismissed as obnoxious cynicism.”
The details of WeWork’s unraveling are stranger than fiction|Allison Stewart|July 22, 2021|Washington Post
I’d ask NBA superfan and die-hard Knicks loyalist Spike Lee to take the helm and would include a cameo of Drake, the league’s most obnoxious celebrity fan, on the sidelines.
Debating How Space Jam: A New Legacy Stacks Up Against the Original|Cady Lang|July 19, 2021|Time
To say it now, into the noise of an obnoxious, male-centric sports audience, would be too damn polite.
The WNBA once worried about survival. Now it has a bolder vision.|Jerry Brewer|May 14, 2021|Washington Post

Some of us stayed up all night long leaving messages for every representative in the House, not wanting to be obnoxious in any way but trying to make sure they had all the information to be able to vote appropriately.
Florida Lawmakers Send Lifeline to Families With Brain-Damaged Children|by Daniel Chang and Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald|April 30, 2021|ProPublica
These “free” games display ads, often in obnoxious places, in lieu of the entry fee.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Peaceful protest is welcome in America today—seeking to disrupt Americans looking to enjoy an NFL game is obnoxious.
It’s Time to Hold Protesters Accountable|Ron Christie|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The obnoxious meddling journalist is a stock character in fiction.
I Blame People Who Blame the Media: Robert McCulloch’s Tone-Deaf Speech|Arthur Chu|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You must be one of the most obnoxious creatures, male or female, roaming the planet.
It’s Time to Stop Hating Katherine Heigl|Kevin Fallon|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Certain sentences and paragraphs capture a self-awareness that is more insightful than obnoxious or narcissistic.
Time to Grow Up, Lena Dunham|Emily Shire|October 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Five coaches, each containing six of the obnoxious prisoners, started to convey them to the prison of the Abbayé.
Madame Roland, Makers of History|John S. C. Abbott
Mr. Osborne's pronounced Northern principles had made him very obnoxious to those who sympathized with the South.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
Stephen, as the head of the Christian community, was especially obnoxious to heathen rage.
The Catacombs of Rome|William Henry Withrow
We then made ourselves horribly obnoxious with our machine guns, and opened by arrangement.
Letters of Lt.-Col. George Brenton Laurie|George Brenton Laurie
He stormed and wheedled, threatened and bribed; the obnoxious instrument was constantly brandished before his eyes.
Alone|Marion Harland

British Dictionary definitions for obnoxious

obnoxious

/ (əbˈnɒkʃəs) /

adjective

extremely unpleasant

obsolete exposed to harm, injury, etc

Derived forms of obnoxious

obnoxiously, adverbobnoxiousness, noun

Word Origin for obnoxious

C16: from Latin obnoxius, from ob- to + noxa injury, from nocēre to harm

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012