obnoxious

adjective

1. 1

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

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

   The disturbance had commenced, like those of England, in the refusal of the parliament to sanction an obnoxious tax; but here all resemblance ended.

   For my part, thumb-marks [in books] I find very obnoxious—far more so than the spoiling of the binding.

   Someone jolted my arm and the contents of my glass spilled onto an immaculate white dress. I felt obnoxious.

2. 2

   Unjustly disagreeable, argumentative or objectionable; brazenly rude.

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

   I always feel out of place when I am around people. I feel obnoxious if I laugh or talk too much.

3. 3

   archaicExposed or vulnerable to something, especially harm or injury.

   Thinke but hovv poore thou vvaſt, hovv obnoxious; / VVhom a ſmall lumpe of fleſh could poyſon thus.

   [M]elancholy perſons amongſt other paſſions and perturbations of the mind, are moſt obnoxious to it [jealousy].

   The Almond-tree is of all others the moſt obnoxious to Froſts, by reaſon of his early bloſſoming; […]

   To begin then vvith his Experiment of the burning VVood, it ſeems to me to be obnoxious to not a fevv conſiderable Exceptions.

4. 4

   obsoleteCausing harm or injury; harmful, hurtful, injurious.

   It [the crocodile] is the moſt obnoxious of all ſea monſters, […]

   In learning the uſeful part of every profeſſion, very moderate abilities vvill ſuffice; great abilities are generally obnoxious to the poſſeſſors. Life has been compared to a race; but the alluſion ſtill improves, by obſerving, that the moſt ſvvift are ever the moſt apt to ſtray from the courſe.

5. 5

   obsoleteDeserving of blame or punishment; blameworthy, guilty.

   And they dreſſed and prepard Hierome of Prage, an oath, in the Councell of Conſtance, by vvhich he muſt ſvveare, freely, voluntarily, (or elſe bee burned) and ſimplie, and vvithout condition, To aſſent to that Church, in all things, but eſpecially in the Doctrines of the Keyes, and Eccleſiaſtick immunities and reliques, and all the ceremonies, vvhich vvere the moſt obnoxious matters.

   [A]s our par[ti]cular Perſons vvere not obnoxious, ſo if any Engliſh or Dutch Ships came thither, perhaps vve might have an Opportunity to load our Goods, and get Paſſage to ſome other Place in India, nearer Home.

   Therefore no wise republic ought to be satisfied, unless she bring to punishment the individual most obnoxious, and those about him who may be supposed to have made him so, his counsellors and courtiers.

6. 6

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

   [M]ost of them (the fellowes) being sneaking and obnoxious, they did run rather with the temper of the warden, than stand against him, to keep themselves in and enjoy their comfortable importances.

7. 7

   obsoleteFollowed by to: likely to do something.

   [O]ur corruption novv is more obnoxious and apter to admitte and inuite ſuch poyſonous ingredients, and temporall reſpects, then in thoſe purer times, […]

   [T]he time of Youth is moſt Obnoxious to forget God; there is great Inadvertency and Inconſiderateneſs, Incogitancy, Unſtableneſs, Vanity, love of Pleaſures, Eaſineſs to be corrupted in Youth; […]

Forms

comparative

more obnoxious

superlative

most obnoxious