obnoxious

adjective

ob·​nox·​ious äb-ˈnäk-shəs 

əb-

1

: odiously or disgustingly objectionable : highly offensive

2

archaic : exposed to something unpleasant or harmful

—used with to

3

archaic : deserving of censure

obnoxiously adverb

obnoxiousness noun

Synonyms

• abhorrent
• abominable
• appalling
• awful
• disgusting
• distasteful
• dreadful
• evil
• foul
• fulsome
• gross
• hideous
• horrendous
• horrible
• horrid
• loathsome
• nasty
• nauseating
• nauseous
• noisome
• noxious
• obscene
• odious
• offensive
• rancid
• repellent
• repellant
• repugnant
• repulsive
• revolting
• scandalous
• shocking
• sickening
• ugly

Examples of obnoxious in a Sentence

Let's get right into it. The title of your book, Why We Suck, is pretty obnoxious. Are we really that bad? —Rachel Deahl, Boston Globe, 30 Nov. 2008

"Not to sound obnoxious, but this downturn could be good for us," says Max Levchin, founder and CEO of Slide, in San Francisco. "Some of our competitors are going to go out of business." —Daniel Lyons, Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2008

Now that many large cities are surrounded by Stygian fields of concrete tedium, urban sprawl looks like an obnoxious side effect of prosperity and decline. —Graham Robb, The Discovery of France, 2007

The teller's eyes widened as a customer poured thousands of pennies onto the counter, an intentionally obnoxious way to pay a high heating bill. —Erik Eckholm, New York Times, 26 June 2006

He said some really obnoxious things about his ex-girlfriend at the party.

Some teenagers were being loud and obnoxious.

Recent Examples on the Web

Here there are two large pools and a spa; the pool scene is lively but not obnoxious, with DJs spinning for events and holidays. —Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024

Wilson writes in the book that she was paid only $3,500 for 2011’s Bridesmaids, which starred Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne and Melissa McCarthy (Wilson played Brynn, the obnoxious roommate of Wiig’s Annie Walker). —Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024

Probably more frustrating disappointment and obnoxious injury. —Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 27 Mar. 2024

But the only thing more obnoxious than a cranky TSA agent or seatmate with bare feet is flying with a bad back. —Erica Sweeney, SELF, 26 Feb. 2024

Though a Kremlin spokesman yesterday accused Western leaders of making obnoxious statements about Putin's responsibility for Navalny's death. —Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024

Bugging your son to provide you with grandchildren is obnoxious. —Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024

The transit authority has heard from several residents that the buses on Third Avenue had become an obnoxious nuisance and that MTS had done a poor job consulting with them before launching the service in October. —Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024

Perhaps your patience wears thinner with every loud, obnoxious slurp of their seltzer. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 12 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin obnoxius "under obligation, subservient, liable, exposed to, vulnerable" (of uncertain origin) + -ous

Note: Latin obnoxius has traditionally been taken to be a parasynthetic derivative from the phrase ob noxiam "due to wrongdoing, on account of bad behavior" (see noxious), but this explanation does not account for the primary senses of the word. Ernout and Meillet (Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine) take -noxius as a desiderative derivative from the base of nancīscī "to acquire" (see enough entry 1), parallel to anxius "worried"/angere "to strangle, distress" (see anxious), alsius "liable to injury from cold"/algēre "to be cold." The English sense "objectionable" is probably due to influence of noxious and its etymon, Latin noxius.

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

obnoxious

adjective

ob·​nox·​ious äb-ˈnäk-shəs 

əb-

: very disagreeable or offensive

obnoxiously adverb

obnoxiousness noun