Standard Lemma guide

obnoxious

adj · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /əbˈnɒkʃəs/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɒb-/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Atlantic-Canada, General-American: /əbˈnɑkʃəs/
  • Canada, dialectal: /əbˈnɒkʃəs/ of the US
  • Australian: /əbˈnɔkʃəs/
  • CMU ARPABET: AA0 B N AA1 K SH AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Throwing stones at the bus is another example of your obnoxious behaviour.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aggravating, aggy, annoying, wretched, displeasing, bothersome, chagrining, cruddy, douchetastic, douchey, drippy, gittish, honery, irksome, irritating, obnoxious, pesky, plaguy, troublesome, twattish, vexatious, abhorrant, abhorrent, bad, sickly, bum, vile, demonic, disagreeable, disgusting, distasteful, foul, rancid, fulsome, gooey, grim, gro, grody, gross, grotty, harsh, loathsome, munted, nasty, nauseous, offensive, obscene, rank, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, scabrous, sickening, strident, unpleasant

Antonyms: unobnoxious, acceptable, agreeable, amiable, charming, comely, nice, pleasant, pleasing, welcome

2

adj

Meaning 2

Unjustly disagreeable, argumentative or objectionable; brazenly rude.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He was an especially obnoxious and detestable specimen of a man.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Exposed or vulnerable to something, especially harm or injury.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Causing harm or injury; harmful, hurtful, injurious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Deserving of blame or punishment; blameworthy, guilty.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reprehensible

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

Under the authority or power of someone; subject, subordinate; hence, deferential, submissive, subservient.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adj

Meaning 7

Followed by to: likely to do something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

causing disapproval or protest

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a vulgar and objectionable person

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: objectionable

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

PIE word *h1epi Learned borrowing from Latin obnoxiōsus (“subject to someone, under someone’s authority”) + English -ous (suffix denoting the presence of a quality in any degree, typically an abundance). Obnoxiōsus is derived from obnoxius (“guilty, punishable; subject to someone, under someone’s authority”) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of; overly; prone to’, forming adjectives from nouns).

Across languages

Translations

120 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: بَغِيض (baḡīḍ) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Arabic: ذَمِيم (ḏamīm) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Arabic: هَجُوم (hajūm) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Arabic: مُزْعِج (muzʕij) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Armenian: գռեհիկ (gṙehik) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Bulgarian: отврати́телен (otvratítelen) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Cebuano: hilas — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Chinese Mandarin: 貝戈戈 /贝戈戈 (bèigēgē) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Chinese Mandarin: 煩人 /烦人 (fánrén) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Chinese Mandarin: 賤 /贱 (jiàn) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Chinese Mandarin: 討厭 /讨厌 (tǎoyàn) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Czech: hnusný — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Czech: odporný — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Czech: nesnesitelný — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Czech: otravný — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Dutch: onaangenaam — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Dutch: onbestaanbaar — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Dutch: onuitstaanbaar — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Dutch: stuitend — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Dutch: vervelend — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Dutch: weerzinwekkend — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Egyptian: D36:N37-G1-Aa2 (ꜥšꜣ) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Esperanto: abomena — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Esperanto: malagrabla — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Esperanto: teda — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Finnish: ärsyttävä — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Finnish: inhottava — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Finnish: pottumainen — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Finnish: sietämätön — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Finnish: vastenmielinen — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Finnish: veemäinen — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Finnish: vittumainen — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • French: désagréable — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • French: exécrable — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • French: odieux — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Galician: obnóxio — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Georgian: საზიზღარი (sazizɣari) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • German: abscheulich — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • German: anstößig — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • German: sekkant — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • German: unausstehlich — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • German: unerträglich — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • German: widerlich — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • German: widerwärtig — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Greek: αποκρουστικός (apokroustikós) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Hungarian: ellenszenves — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Hungarian: geci — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Hungarian: terhes — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Icelandic: óalandi og óferjandi — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Ido: ofensanta — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Ilocano: kabi-bwisit — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Ilocano: pasal-sali — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Irish: domlasta — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Italian: detestabile — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Italian: odioso — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Italian: ripugnante — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Italian: rivoltante — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Japanese: 忌まわしい (imawashii) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Japanese: 嫌 (iya) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Latvian: lipīgs — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Macedonian: о́двратен (ódvraten) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Macedonian: о́дбивен (ódbiven) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Malayalam: വെറുപ്പിക്കുന്ന (veṟuppikkunna) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Māori: maninohea — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Māori: whakaweriweri — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ufyselig — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Norwegian Bokmål: utålelig — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Persian: عوضی ('avazi) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Persian: منفور (manfur) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Plautdietsch: schätlich — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Polish: nieznośny — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Polish: obraźliwy — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Polish: okropny — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Polish: przykry — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Polish: upierdliwy — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Polish: wstrętny — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Portuguese: obnóxio — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Portuguese: desagradável — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Portuguese: engraçadinho — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Portuguese: insuportável — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Romanian: dezagreabil — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Romanian: grețos — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Romanian: insuportabil — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Romanian: neplăcut — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Romanian: nesuferit — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Romanian: odios — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Romanian: respingător — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Russian: омерзи́тельный (omerzítelʹnyj) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Russian: отврати́тельный (otvratítelʹnyj) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Russian: проти́вный (protívnyj) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Serbo-Croatian: не̏поћӯдан — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Serbo-Croatian: о̏дбо̄јан — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Serbo-Croatian: о̏дио̄зан — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Serbo-Croatian: о̏двра̄тан — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Serbo-Croatian: nȅpoćūdan — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Serbo-Croatian: ȍdbōjan — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Serbo-Croatian: ȍdiōzan — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Serbo-Croatian: ȍdvrātan — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Slovak: hnusný — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Slovak: neznesiteľný — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Slovak: odporný — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Spanish: obnoxio — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Swedish: avskyvärd — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Swedish: förhatlig — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Swedish: motbjudande — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Swedish: rollista — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Swedish: vidrig — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Tagalog: gago — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Tagalog: gamól — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Tagalog: istorbo — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Tagalog: nakakainis — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Tagalog: ogag — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Tagalog: sampitaw — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Tagalog: sawsaw — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Turkish: dayanılmaz — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Turkish: iğrenç — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Turkish: tahammül edilmez — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Ukrainian: оги́дний (ohýdnyj) — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Uzbek: jirkanch — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious
  • Vietnamese: câng — extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious