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
Synonym Usage
See hateful.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of obnoxious
First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin obnoxiōsus “harmful,” equivalent to ob- “to, toward, against,” + noxiōsus “harmful”; see ob-, noxious
Explanation
If something is obnoxious, it's annoying and unpleasant. Generally, people like to avoid obnoxious folks. If something is driving you absolutely crazy, it's probably obnoxious. Yelling and stomping your feet is obnoxious. Poking someone repeatedly is obnoxious. Driving like a maniac is obnoxious. If the teacher comes in and finds students jumping up and down and throwing books, she might say, "Stop being so obnoxious!" Any time someone is obnoxious, someone else probably wants them to stop it.
Vocabulary lists containing obnoxious
Negative Words to Describe a Person
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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Freak the Mighty
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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.
Fast facts: Dominic Sessa of “The Holdovers” plays a young, obnoxious and scrappy Anthony Bourdain, the chef-turned-TV-star who died in 2018, in this biopic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
Ticket Exchange, set up by Edinburgh fan Carey McEvoy, says Scotland fans can swap and sell World Cup briefs without "obnoxious" resale mark-ups.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026
Why not plant a high-functioning sociopath as a teacher in a building full of obnoxious, attitudinal, hormonal basket cases?
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
It can be loud and distracting and obnoxious.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
“Sorry,” I say, as I fumble around in the depths of my bag, missing it multiple times in my desperation to turn it off while it keeps screaming its obnoxious announcement.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
