intrusive

[in-troo-siv]

adjective

tending or apt to intrude; coming without invitation or welcome: intrusive memories of a lost love.

characterized by or involving intrusion.

intruding; thrusting in.

Geology.

(of a rock) having been forced between preexisting rocks or rock layers while in a molten or plastic condition.
noting or pertaining to plutonic rocks.

Phonetics. excrescent(def 2).

Origin of intrusive

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at intrusion, -ive

Related formsin·tru·sive·ly, adverbin·tru·sive·ness, nounnon·in·tru·sive, adjectivenon·in·tru·sive·ly, adverbun·in·tru·sive, adjectiveun·in·tru·sive·ly, adverb

Synonyms for intrusive

1. annoying, bothersome, interfering, distracting, irksome, worrisome, troublesome, irritating, disturbing.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for unintrusive

intrusive

adjective

characterized by intrusion or tending to intrude

(of igneous rocks) formed by intrusionCompare extrusive (def. 2)

phonetics relating to or denoting a speech sound that is introduced into a word or piece of connected speech for a phonetic rather than a historical or grammatical reason, such as the (r) often pronounced between idea and of in the idea of it

Derived Formsintrusively, adverbintrusiveness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for unintrusive

intrusive

adj.

c.1400, from Latin intrus-, past participle stem of intrudere (see intrusion) + -ive. Related: Intrusively; intrusiveness.