obtrusive
Americanadjective
-
having or showing a disposition to obtrude, as by imposing oneself or one's opinions on others.
- Synonyms:
- presumptuous, officious, meddlesome
-
(of a thing) obtruding itself.
an obtrusive error.
- Synonyms:
- blatant
-
protruding; projecting.
adjective
-
obtruding or tending to obtrude
-
sticking out; protruding; noticeable
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of obtrusive
Explanation
The eight-foot-tall, hot pink statue of Minnie Mouse did not belong among the beige couches of the fancy living room. The statue was obtrusive, meaning it stood out in a bad way. Something that obtrudes sticks out, like a sore thumb. Wearing a snow suit and skis to your neighbor's pool party, or bringing steak tartare to a vegan potluck — these are examples of obtrusive behavior, which draws attention to you and makes you stick out, but not in a good way.
Vocabulary lists containing obtrusive
100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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"The Purloined Letter" by Edgar Allan Poe
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Where Wolves Don't Die
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rings are certainly less obtrusive than a smartwatch, many of which are pretty darn clunky.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
It’s playful but never too obtrusive, approaching an idea of how art and movies play with time and can conjure their own reality.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2025
"There's an opportunity for less obtrusive methods of saving water to be more important than we originally thought," said lead author Anna Boser, a doctoral student at UCSB's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 25, 2024
Disguising every pylon in the country would likely be expensive and impractical; however the National Grid has made efforts to change the traditional design of a pylon into something less obtrusive.
From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2023
Her rooms were so silent that the music seemed obtrusive.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
