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
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.
Malodorous, Nefarious, Obstreperous, Perfidious -- I could go on all day.
From Washington Post • Aug. 2, 2018
Obstreperous behavior—if someone habitually starts fights and feuds—is equally dangerous.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2015
Obstreperous and tunnel-visioned, detective Robin Griffin has been likened to Sarah Lund, the central figure in the Danish hit drama.
From BBC • Jul. 12, 2013
Obstreperous deputies subjected the Premier to such prolonged heckling that at one time the Speaker had to plead: "Please, only one heckler at a time."
From Time Magazine Archive
Obstreperous, ob-strep′ėr-us, adj. making a loud noise: clamorous: noisy.—v.i.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various
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.
