obtrusive

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

PIE word
*h₁epi

From Latin obtrūsus + English -ive (suffix meaning ‘of the nature of’, forming adjectives). Obtrūsus is the perfect passive participle of obtrūdō,[1] a variant of obstrūdō (to push, shove, or thrust against or into), from ob- (prefix meaning ‘against; towards’) + trūdō (to push, shove, or thrust) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *trewd- (to push; to thrust)).

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

obtrusive (comparative more obtrusive, superlative most obtrusive)

  1. (figurative)
    1. Of a person: overly assertive, bold, or domineering; pushy; also, ostentatious.
      Synonyms: intrusive, overassertive, overbearing, sharp-elbowed; see also Thesaurus:bossy
      Antonyms: inobtrusive, nonobtrusive, unobtrusive
      The office manager is an unpleasantly obtrusive individual.
      • 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. [], London: [] [Samuel Simmons], [], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: [], London: Basil Montagu Pickering [], 1873, →OCLC, lines 1139–1142:
        Her vertue and the conſcience of her worth, / That would be woo'd, and not unfought be won, / Not obvious, not obtruſive, but retir'd, / The more deſirable, []
    2. Of a thing: noticeable or prominent, especially in a displeasing way.
      Synonyms: in-your-face, ostentatious
      Antonyms: inobtrusive, nonobtrusive, unobtrusive
      He has an obtrusive forehead.
  2. (obsolete) Protruding or sticking out, especially in a way that obstructs.
    Synonyms: bulging, jutting
    Antonyms: inobtrusive, nonobtrusive, unobtrusive
    The facade of the building was ornamented with obtrusive sculpted designs.

Hyponyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Compare “obtrusive, adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, July 2023; “obtrusive, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Italian[edit]

Adjective[edit]

obtrusive

  1. feminine plural of obtrusivo