Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

obtrude

play
verb ob·trude \ əb-ˈtrüd , äb- \

Definition of obtrude

obtruded; obtruding
transitive verb
1 :to thrust out :extrude
2 :to force or impose (oneself, one's ideas, etc.) without warrant or request
intransitive verb
:to become unduly prominent or interfering :intrude
—

obtruder

noun

See obtrude defined for English-language learners

See obtrude defined for kids

Read the Latest from M-W

image2143067130
9 Slang Words With Academic Origins
alt-59bab5dbb4997
Trending: 'Bodega' Startup Draws Criticism, Mockery
alt-59c17b8172892
'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye
stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

Examples of obtrude in a Sentence

  1. The historical details in the movie do not obtrude—they enhance the story by making it more realistic.

  2. please stop obtruding in your brother's affairs

Origin and Etymology of obtrude

Latin obtrudere to thrust at, from ob- in the way + trudere to thrust — more at ob-, threat

obtrude Synonyms

Synonyms
butt in, interlope, intermeddle, intrude, meddle, mess, muck (about or around), nose, interfere, poke, pry, snoop
Related Words
intercede, interpose, intervene; barge (in), chisel (in), encroach, infringe, invade, trespass; fiddle, fool, monkey, play, tamper
Near Antonyms
avoid, eschew, shun; disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook

OBTRUDE Defined for English Language Learners

obtrude

play
verb

Definition of obtrude for English Language Learners

  • : to become involved with something or to become noticeable in an unpleasant or annoying way

Learn More about obtrude

  1. See words that rhyme with obtrude Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for obtrude Spanish Central: Translation of obtrude Nglish: Translation of obtrude for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up obtrude? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

glabrous

play

smooth or hairless

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. bodega "Don’t mess with the beloved bodega."

  2. carceral Of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison

  3. allegory No spoilers!

  4. hurricane 'A tropical cyclone'

  5. rescind To take away; cancel; repeal

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

obtrude

Test Your Vocabulary

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

  • stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
  • Which is a synonym of fuliginous?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-59c17b8172892
'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

Its origins are surprisingly murky.

alt-59c13729150dc
"Immune to" or "Immune from"?

Nobody is immune to this question.

alt-59bff395cf879
What's Going On With 'Nonplussed'?

Its recent usage is hard to shrug off.

alt-59bad350d88f1
Welcome to the New Words

From 'hive mind' to 'sriracha'

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz
name-that-color-logo
Name that Color!

NEW! Additional colors! More obscure than before!

Take the quiz
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

Take the quiz
Word Winder's CrossWinder
Word Winder's CrossWinder

A game of winding words.

Play the game
Examples: obtrude in a Sentence