obnoxious

adjective

äb-ˈnäk-shəs 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 Delafonte is Playboy Ray, a cocky, obnoxious, and supremely talented all-around cowboy. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026 Something specific that’s not too obnoxious and out of the box. — The Editors, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2026 Still, the constant death against even low-level grunt enemies, let alone fearsome bosses, is annoying and obnoxious. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026 Thank goodness Angie Nixon is not an aggressively obnoxious member of the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America). — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 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 league and its players’ union are heading for an ugly fight, years in the making.
    — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Cooling plates manage heat during normal operation, while passive barriers and electrical isolation are designed to contain the ugly edge cases that Beta’s testing process intentionally triggers.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • Coach James acknowledged the Yellow Jackets should’ve knelt the ball during its final offensive possession.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The Packers, missing All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons and a flurry of their own offensive linemen, move to 5-3.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of offensive
Adjective
  • Not only has the gimmick run stale, but her insistence on upping the ante year after year, creating costumes that are increasingly bizarre and disgusting, is a threat to us all.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The actions of their fans, especially their supporter group, was disgusting.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • These efforts should be lauded because lawyering solely to please Trump without an iota of reasonableness according to prescribed rules of law to which all lawyers must adhered is simply unacceptable.
    — Miles J. Zaremski, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
  • But critics, like the Civic Federation, are denouncing the budget plan, calling it an unacceptable abdication of responsibility to meet the fiscal realities facing the city.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • Mahomes scrambled to his left and threw an awful interception in the opening half.
    — Sam McDowell October 25, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Their wins this year have been against a Patriots team that looked awful in Week 1 – with Drew Lock coming in for Darnold early in the game.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of awful
Adjective
  • Other research suggests trypophobic people find hole clusters as unpleasant as pictures of skin disease and that people with a history of skin problems may find hole clusters particularly uncomfortable to look at.
    — Gabriela Galvin, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026
  • That is followed by one focused on exploring conventional notions of beauty by uncovering the unexpected draw of unpleasant scents with Naïla Hamayed, Givaudan’s fragrance evaluator.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • In most versions of the Greek mythology, Medusa is a beautiful woman that was cursed by the goddess Athena with a head of snakes instead of hair and the horrible ability to turn people to stone with just one look.
    — Lynsey Eidell, Glamour, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The battle is between that horrible atmosphere and some of the horrific candidates that have been nominated by the Democratic Party.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • Kermode says that for a long time, Warner showed little interest in doing a proper restoration, as the material was still considered highly objectionable.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The judge also has noted that some of the objectionable stories cited by the DOJ do not have to do with national security.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Oct. 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 1 Nov. 2026.

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