unobtrusive

[ uhn-uhb-troo-siv ]

/ ˌʌn əbˈtru sɪv /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for unobtrusive on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not obtrusive; inconspicuous, unassertive, or reticent.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!

Question 1 of 12

On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

it's

its

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of unobtrusive

First recorded in 1735–45; un-¹ + obtrusive

OTHER WORDS FROM unobtrusive

un·ob·tru·sive·ly, adverbun·ob·tru·sive·ness, noun

Words nearby unobtrusive

unnumbered, Uno, unobserved, unobstructed, unobtainable, unobtrusive, unoccupied, unofficial, unopened, unopposed, unorganized

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for unobtrusive

“These are problem-solving products but that incorporate technology in a really subtle, unobtrusive way,” she says.
Wearables Hit the Runway at Fashion Week|Raquel Laneri|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The buildings are beautifully unobtrusive, designed to be in hushed harmony with the surroundings.
Lush Places: The Scotland of India|Tunku Varadarajan|March 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What Hensrud and his team want is to make your diet as unobtrusive as possible.
Do I Have to Read The Mayo Clinic Diet?|William Boot|February 6, 2010|DAILY BEAST
For the most part, his is an unobtrusive presence, and he wisely leaves the film and phone recordings to tell their own tale.
Reliving Mumbai's 9/11|Tunku Varadarajan|November 19, 2009|DAILY BEAST

A fair share of household duties also fell to her lot, and these were discharged in a quiet, orderly, and unobtrusive way.
The Childhood of Distinguished Women|Selina A. Bower
The butler had come up to his master in the unobtrusive manner of a well-trained servant, and was waiting an opportunity to speak.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
What has preceded shows how simple, unobtrusive, passive is the part played by the accountant-general.
Social Comptabilism, Cheque and Clearing Service & Proposed Law|Ernest Solvay
My clothes are a bit conspicuous in this setting, no matter how unobtrusive my thoughts and actions.
My Wonderful Visit|Charlie Chaplin
Mrs. Welsh was happy, too, but a little tearful in an unobtrusive way.
Wayside Courtships|Hamlin Garland

British Dictionary definitions for unobtrusive

unobtrusive

/ (ˌʌnəbˈtruːsɪv) /

adjective

not noticeable or conspicuous

Derived forms of unobtrusive

unobtrusively, adverb

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

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

unobtrusive

adjective

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Origin of unobtrusive

OTHER WORDS FROM unobtrusive

Words nearby unobtrusive

Example sentences from the Web for unobtrusive

British Dictionary definitions for unobtrusive

adjective

Derived forms of unobtrusive

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

unobtrusive

adjective

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Origin of unobtrusive

OTHER WORDS FROM unobtrusive

Words nearby unobtrusive

Words related to unobtrusive

Example sentences from the Web for unobtrusive

British Dictionary definitions for unobtrusive

adjective

Derived forms of unobtrusive