obstreperous
Americanadjective
-
resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner; unruly.
- Synonyms:
- refractory, uncontrolled
- Antonyms:
- obedient
-
noisy, clamorous, or boisterous.
obstreperous children.
- Antonyms:
- calm
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of obstreperous
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin obstreperus “clamorous,” akin to obstrepere “to make a noise at” ( ob- ob- + strepere “to rattle”); see -ous
Explanation
Obstreperous means boisterous, noisy, aggressive, defiant. You’ve probably seen an obstreperous child in the grocery store, pulling away from her mother, screaming at the top of her lungs. If you’ve been to a large concert where the band doesn't come on stage for hours, you might have been part of an obstreperous crowd: increasingly impatient, with fights breaking out, things thrown up onto the stage, and demands being shouted, "Give us some music before the night is out!" Some people are kind and gentle with strangers, but around their own family turn obstreperous, shouting "You never loved me!" at their mom when she gives them the smaller of two cookies.
Vocabulary lists containing obstreperous
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The first day goes wonderfully well—games of Bananagrams and Boggle, long walks with Rose’s obstreperous Newfoundland Walter.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
This is more than a reissue; it is a reclamation and a delightfully obstreperous collection of material.
From Salon • Dec. 9, 2025
The judge also sanctioned the defendants' lawyers for making "preposterous" legal arguments and fueling their clients' "obstreperous" conduct.
From Reuters • Sep. 26, 2023
They see children as fascinating and try mightily to connect with them — even when the most obstreperous toddler throws a tantrum in their path.
From Washington Post • Feb. 26, 2023
Merle Tuve, who was still struggling to produce high-energy particles with his obstreperous Tesla coil, saw little practical application for Lawrence’s curved variation on a linear accelerator.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
