unobtrusive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unobtrusive
Explanation
Use the adjective unobtrusive to describe something that doesn’t attract much attention, like an unobtrusive waiter who doesn't interrupt diners to rattle off the nightly specials, or an unobtrusive stain on the floor that your parents haven't noticed. When you need to blend in, look to the word unobtrusive, which is pronounced "un-ob-TROO-sive." Unobtrusive can describe anyone — or anything — that is not very noticeable, such as the unobtrusive black parka that makes you look more or less like everyone else on the city streets in winter, or the unobtrusive security cameras at your bank.
Vocabulary lists containing unobtrusive
To Kill a Mockingbird
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Grade 10, List 5
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Power Prefix: un-
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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.
Their unobtrusive placement complements their immersive musicality, hitherto only possible outdoors with high-end earphones or headphones connected to sophisticated digital acoustic conversion equipment costing a bundle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
The idea is that computing will be ambient but unobtrusive, there when you need it, but not when you don’t.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Mr. Hanks provides introductions and closing comments to each episode; his narration throughout is unobtrusive and very low-key, unlike a few of the experts who populate the space lying between the historical footage and photographs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
She won gold in the Wellness category at the Stoperiet Open bodybuilding competition in April - a category which places special emphasis on natural fitness, healthy appearance and unobtrusive beauty, rather than large muscle mass.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2025
But Dad, in his unobtrusive way, finally persuaded her to let me go.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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.
