Standard Lemma guide

unobtrusive

adj · 2 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: /(ˌ)ʌnəbˈtɹuːsɪv/
  • General-American: /ˌʌnəbˈtɹusɪv/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH2 N AH0 B T R UW1 S IH0 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not obtrusive; not blatant or noticeable; discreet, inconspicuous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inobtrusive, sedate, discreet, improminent, inconspicuous, inevident, low-profile, noteless, obscure, unconspicuous, unevident, unobtrusive

Antonyms: conspicuous, indiscreet, obtrusive, prominent

2

adjective

Meaning 2

not obtrusive or undesirably noticeable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a quiet, unobtrusive life of self-denial

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unnoticeable

Antonyms: obtrusive

History

Etymology

From un- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + obtrusive.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: ненатрапчив (nenatrapčiv) — not obtrusive
  • Czech: decentní — not obtrusive
  • Danish: beskeden — not obtrusive
  • Danish: stilfærdig — not obtrusive
  • Danish: tilbageholdende — not obtrusive
  • Dutch: onopvallend — not obtrusive
  • Finnish: huomaamaton — not obtrusive
  • Georgian: არათვალშისაცემი (aratvalšisacemi) — not obtrusive
  • Georgian: შეუმჩნეველი (šeumčneveli) — not obtrusive
  • German: bescheiden — not obtrusive
  • German: unaufdringlich — not obtrusive
  • German: unauffällig — not obtrusive
  • German: unscheinbar — not obtrusive
  • Greek: αθόρυβος (athóryvos) — not obtrusive
  • Hungarian: diszkrét — not obtrusive
  • Icelandic: látlaus — not obtrusive
  • Macedonian: нена́метлив (nenámetliv) — not obtrusive
  • Norwegian: ikke/lite påtrengende — not obtrusive
  • Russian: ненавя́зчивый (nenavjázčivyj) — not obtrusive
  • Russian: неприме́тный (neprimétnyj) — not obtrusive
  • Scottish Gaelic: mì-liosda — not obtrusive
  • Serbo-Croatian: неупа̀дљив — not obtrusive
  • Serbo-Croatian: neupàdljiv — not obtrusive
  • Spanish: discreto — not obtrusive
  • Spanish: inobtrusivo — not obtrusive
  • Spanish: inobtruso — not obtrusive
  • Swedish: omärkbar — not obtrusive
  • Turkish: göze çarpmayan — not obtrusive
  • Welsh: anymwthiol — not obtrusive