obtrusive

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”)).

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

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

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

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 ; nd by Robert Boulter ; 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.

• hyperobtrusive
• semiobtrusive

obtrusive

1. feminine plural of obtrusivo