Obnoxious
/əbˈnɑːkʃəs/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Obnoxious means causing strong dislike because of bad behavior, loudness, or rudeness. It is used to describe people, actions, or things that bother others a lot or make them feel uncomfortable.
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See It in Action
Very unpleasant or offensive behavior or personality
- •The loud music and rude comments made the party obnoxious.
- •He was so obnoxious that nobody wanted to sit near him.
- •Her obnoxious laugh annoyed everyone in the room.
Something that causes strong dislike or discomfort
- •The smell from the garbage was obnoxious.
- •That advertisement was obnoxious because it was too loud and bright.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "obnoxious" like "annoying," but much stronger and more unpleasant.
- ✓Picture a loud person who talks too much and does not care about others’ feelings.
- ✓It's the feeling when someone interrupts you many times or makes rude jokes.
- ✓Sounds like "ob-NOX-ious" → imagine "knocks" on a door that are so loud and rude they bother everyone inside.
- ✓Think of a character in a movie who is always rude and makes others upset or angry.
- ✓NOT like "shy" (quiet and gentle), "obnoxious" is loud and unpleasant.
- ✓NOT like "polite" (kind and respectful), "obnoxious" is rude and disrespectful.
- ✓NOT like "annoying" (which can be small or mild), "obnoxious" is very strong and hard to ignore.
Try Other Words
- •Offensive: causing hurt feelings or anger (Use when the unpleasantness is about disrespect or insult)
- •Rude: not polite or respectful (Use when behavior breaks social manners)
- •Unpleasant: not nice or enjoyable (Use for general discomfort or dislike)
- •Disagreeable: causing dislike or discomfort (Use in more formal or polite situations)
Unboxing
- •Prefix "ob-" means "against" or "toward"
- •Root "nox" comes from Latin "noxius," meaning harmful or hurtful
- •Suffix "-ious" means "full of" or "having the quality of"
- •The word originally meant "harmful" or "hurtful" but now means very unpleasant or offensive
- •Today, it describes people or things that bother others by being rude, loud, or offensive
Reflect & Connect
•Can someone be obnoxious without meaning to be? How do you think people react in those cases?
•How do different cultures view what is considered obnoxious behavior?
Fill in the blanks
1.When someone is obnoxious, they often ___ others by being loud or rude.
2.The smell was so obnoxious that it made everyone ___ the room quickly.
3.Unlike polite people, obnoxious individuals usually ___ respect for others.
4.The advertisement was obnoxious because it was too ___ and bright.
5.People sometimes say "___ behavior" when they want to describe actions that are very unpleasant.
6.If you want to avoid being called obnoxious, you should ___ how your words affect others.
7.When a person is obnoxious, others often feel ___ or want to stay away.