obnoxious

adjective

äb-ˈnäk-shÉ™s How to pronounce obnoxious (audio)
Definition of obnoxiousnext
1
as in ugly
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment the obnoxious disc jockey caused many listeners to call the station with complaints

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in offensive
provoking or likely to provoke protest an obnoxious comment for which there should be an immediate apology

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obnoxious Later, as Piven was becoming a leading man in his own right thanks to his role as obnoxious agent Ari Gold on HBO's Entourage, the two seemed to drift apart. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026 The White Lotus' Jennifer Coolidge plays Monica Geller (Courteney Cox) and Phoebe's obnoxious old roommate, Amanda Buffamonteezi, on a season 10 episode of Friends in 2003. — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 25 May 2026 The Golden Knights are obnoxious. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 May 2026 But how that staged, arguably obnoxious behavior plays out in a political campaign, run by a man in his 40s, is another matter. — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for obnoxious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obnoxious
  1. ugly
  2. offensive
  3. disgusting
  4. unacceptable
  5. awful
  6. unpleasant
  7. horrible
  8. objectionable
Adjective
  • The deals defined one of the ugliest chapters of Russia’s transition to capitalism in the 1990s.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
  • Leaders must be grounded in self-awareness and their influence, leaning into emotional intelligence and humility; recognizing that different styles shape how people show up amid many influences, good, bad and ugly.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • Since 2022, the Falcons haven’t finished worse than 10th in the NFL in rushing — and their new offense, led by coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, suggests that won’t soon change.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
  • The Liberty were unable to find much offensive success after the break.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of offensive
Adjective
  • Deer-Proof Your Garden To keep your flowers from being gobbled up by deer—one of the most heartbreaking of all garden misfortunes—choose flowers that people find glorious and deer find disgusting.
    — Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 13 July 2026
  • Where critics see disgusting piles of stuff, hoarders see more.
    — Shivali H. Patra, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • Critics say such plans are wholly unacceptable because light pollution from so many large, bright satellites would radically degrade views of the night sky.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 July 2026
  • For the union, this is unacceptable and yet another issue their members are facing.
    — Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 14 July 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • Torres – one of Barcelona’s key men up front – had been having an awful tournament, missing a plethora of chances throughout Spain’s campaign and being benched after starting against Cape Verde.
    — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • In a clearing in the forest, his younger selves sit at a long table with the abbott, who is wearing the final boss of season three’s awful wigs.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026
Definition of awful
Adjective
  • Anyone concerned about coming down with this very unpleasant sickness should avoid lettuces for the time being, says Rabia de Latour, a gastroenterologist at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 July 2026
  • Like them, his music seesaws between aggressive and playful, between crowd-pleasing and purposefully unpleasant.
    — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • The toll was horrible, with some families suffering multiple deaths and injuries.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
  • Plus, Palmer is a horrible person — in this case, the victim is much more despicable than the thieves.
    — Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • Actual theater buildings were built in Hartford and elsewhere in the 1790s but couldn’t overcome the formidable opposition of those who still considered theater to be a highly objectionable artform.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
  • The list, however, does not provide images of the content that NPS found objectionable.
    — Deena Zaru, ABC News, 18 June 2026
Definition of objectionable

Browse Nearby Words

obloquy
obnoxious
obnoxiously
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Cite this Entry

“Obnoxious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obnoxious. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on obnoxious

Nglish: Translation of obnoxious for Spanish Speakers

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