obnoxious
Americanadjective
-
highly objectionable or offensive; odious.
obnoxious behavior.
- Antonyms:
- delightful
-
annoying or objectionable due to being a show-off or attracting undue attention to oneself.
an obnoxious little brat.
-
Archaic. exposed or liable to harm, evil, or anything objectionable.
-
Obsolete. liable to punishment or censure; reprehensible.
adjective
-
extremely unpleasant
-
obsolete exposed to harm, injury, etc
Related Words
See hateful.
Other Word Forms
- obnoxiously adverb
- obnoxiousness noun
- unobnoxious adjective
- unobnoxiously adverb
Etymology
Origin of obnoxious
First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin obnoxiōsus “harmful,” equivalent to ob- “to, toward, against,” + noxiōsus “harmful”; ob-, noxious
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.
It’s a hilarious take on bonding with ancestors, in this case in an intergalactic bathhouse where Zaalan’s Syrian ancestors must field obnoxious first world questions from millennial descendants.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
Trump snapped at her, branding her a “very obnoxious person.”
From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026
“It’s just flagrantly obnoxious to overdress in a workplace situation, especially when you’re a junior member,” said Gunn, best known for being a clear-eyed mentor on the fashion-design competition show “Project Runway.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026
The retailer's attempt to humanise its chat bot may have backfired, as some users said that Olive was "obnoxious," while another said that they found its small talk "aggravating."
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026
I was floored by how obnoxious the kids were.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
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.
