obtrusive

English

WOTD – 11 September 2023

Etymology

PIE word
*h₁epi

From Latin obtrūsus English -ive (suffix meaning ‘of the nature of’, forming adjectives). Obtrūsus is the perfect passive participle of obtrūdō, 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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əbˈtɹuːsɪv/, /ɒb-/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /əbˈtɹusɪv/, /ɑb-/
• Rhymes: -uːsɪv
• Hyphenation: ob‧trus‧ive

Adjective

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], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →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.

      • 1914 September – 1915 May, Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Bodymaster”, in The Valley of Fear: A Sherlock Holmes Novel, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, published 27 February 1915, →OCLC, part II (The Scowrers), pages 194–195:

        Thus it was that, year by year, Boss McGinty's diamond pins became more obtrusive, his gold chains more weighty across a more gorgeous vest, and his saloon stretched farther and farther, until it threatened to absorb one whole side of the Market Square.

      • 1933 September, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “Melodramatic Interlude”, in The Shape of Things to Come, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, 4th book (The Modern State Militant), page 338:

        But there was a third principal in this primitive drama, the wife of Essenden, a woman of great energy, great possessiveness and obtrusive helpfulness.

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

• hyperobtrusive
• semiobtrusive

Derived terms

• hyperobtrusive
• inobtrusive
• inobtrusively
• inobtrusiveness
• nonobtrusive
• obtrusively
• obtrusiveness
• semiobtrusive
• unobtrusive
• unobtrusively
• unobtrusiveness

 

Related terms

• detrude (obsolete)
• extrude
• intrude
• obtrude
• retrude

 

Translations

of a person: overly assertive, bold, or domineering — see also pushy

• Bulgarian: натрапчив (bg) (natrapčiv)
• Finnish: tunkeileva (fi), tyrkyttävä (fi)
• Georgian: მოურიდებელი (mouridebeli)
• German: aufdringlich (de), penetrant (de)
• Italian: invadente (it), importuno (it), indiscreto (it)
• Macedonian: на́метлив (námetliv), на́стојчив (nástojčiv)
• Polish: nachalny (pl)

ostentatious — see ostentatious

of a thing: noticeable or prominent, especially in a displeasing way

• Finnish: esiinpistävä
• Georgian: თვალშისაცემი (tvalšisacemi), შესამჩნევი (šesamčnevi)
• German: auffällig (de), (negativ) wahrnehmbar
• Italian: sporgente (it)
• Macedonian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: obtrusivo m, obtruso m

Italian

Adjective

obtrusive

1. feminine plural of obtrusivo