obstreperous
adjective
Did you know?
The handy Latin prefix ob-, meaning "in the way," "against," or "toward," occurs in many Latin and English words. Obstreperous comes from ob- plus strepere, a verb meaning "to make a noise," so someone who is obstreperous can be thought of as literally making noise to rebel against something, much like a protesting crowd or an unruly child. The word has been used in English since around the beginning of the 17th century. Strepere has had a limited impact on the English lexicon; in addition to obstreperous it seems only to have contributed strepitous and its synonym strepitant, which mean "characterized or accompanied by much noise"—that is, "noisy." Ob- words, on the other hand, abound, and include such terms as obnoxious, occasion, offend, omit, oppress, and oust.
Synonyms
- blatant
- caterwauling
- clamant
- clamorous
- squawking
- vociferant
- vociferating
- vociferous
- yawping
- yauping
- yowling
Example Sentences
James Rainey And Brittny Mejia, Anchorage Daily News, 11 Sep. 2022 There is nothing more unfair to the board and the attending owners than when one or more owners hijack a meeting with obstreperous behavior. Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2022 In fact, of course, refusing to seat the obstreperous loudmouth Jordan, in particular, has been a saving grace. Margaret Sullivan, Washington Post, 6 July 2022 Indulge your obstreperous inclinations by viewing this joyful exhibition, cherishing Klein’s singular and uncensored perspective on every facet of life in global cities, oscillating wildly between quotidian and uncanny. Natasha Gural, Forbes, 1 June 2022 But that evidence competed in Biden’s accounting with his own history of finding a way to work with unsavory and obstreperous counterparts, including the segregationists Strom Thurmond and James Eastland. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2022 Biden, who has already met with another obstreperous American adversary, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, has not yet announced a face-to-face meeting with Xi. BostonGlobe.com, 21 July 2021 Implicit in obstreperous is the idea that the control is justified and the threat minimal – its tone is patronizing. Melissa Mohr, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 June 2021 On one side are those who want to crack down on peaceful if obstreperous protesters, on women’s reproductive rights and on journalistic freedom while limiting minority voting rights and promoting religious conformity. Eric Zorn, chicagotribune.com, 1 June 2021 See More Word History
Latin obstreperus, from obstrepere to clamor against, from ob- against + strepere to make a noise
circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1
obstreperous
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- vocal
- outspoken
- vociferous
- noisy
- blatant
- caterwauling
- clamorous
- vociferating
- squawking
- yowling
- shrill
- clamant
- yawping
- boisterous
- rowdy
- vociferant
- raucous
- yauping
- loudmouthed
- strident
- robustious
- dissonant
- brazen
- uproarious
- cacophonous
- brassy
- earsplitting
- clangorous
- rackety
- discordant
- grating
- blustering
- dinning
- booming
- blaring
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- silent
- quiet
- calm
- still
- noiseless
- subdued
- hushed
- soundless
Synonyms & Similar Words
- rebellious
- rebel
- defiant
- stubborn
- unruly
- recalcitrant
- willful
- contumacious
- disobedient
- insubordinate
- wayward
- mischievous
- intractable
- ungovernable
- contrary
- balky
- restive
- naughty
- rigid
- adamant
- refractory
- uncooperative
- dogged
- incompliant
- untoward
- wilful
- rude
- dissident
- recusant
- froward
- uncontrollable
- mutinous
- obstinate
- peevish
- insurgent
- wild
- bad
- obdurate
- fractious
- negativistic
- mulish
- unmanageable
- implacable
- resistant
- pertinacious
- uncompromising
- pigheaded
- noncooperative
- headstrong
- unrelenting
- inflexible
- monkeying
- opinionated
- disorderly
- unbending
- unyielding
- impudent
- ornery
- wrongheaded
- hardheaded
- insolent
- ungracious
- uncivil
- unmannerly
- perverse
- undisciplined
- misbehaving
- errant
- immovable
- impertinent
- adamantine
- disrespectful
- discourteous
- self-willed
- uncouth
- nonconformist
- inconsiderate
- impolite
- ill-mannered
- ill-bred
- ill-natured
- monkeyish
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- amiable
- docile
- obedient
- amenable
- deferential
- agreeable
- biddable
- compliant
- tractable
- cooperative
- acquiescent
- obliging
- submissive
- conformable
- polite
- behaved
- obsequious
- courteous
- respectful
- disciplined
- ruly
- yielding
- servile
- slavish
- subservient
- orderly
- decorous
- proper
- mannerly
- well-bred
- controllable
- governable
- trainable
- manageable
- kowtowing
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of obstreperous are blatant, boisterous, clamorous, strident, and vociferous. While all these words mean "so loud or insistent as to compel attention," obstreperous suggests unruly and aggressive noisiness and resistance to restraint.
The words blatant and obstreperous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, blatant implies an offensive bellowing or insensitive loudness.
The words boisterous and obstreperous can be used in similar contexts, but boisterous suggests a noisiness and turbulence due to high spirits.
The meanings of clamorous and obstreperous largely overlap; however, clamorous may imply insistency as well as vociferousness in demanding or protesting.
In some situations, the words strident and obstreperous are roughly equivalent. However, strident suggests harsh and discordant noise.
The synonyms vociferous and obstreperous are sometimes interchangeable, but vociferous implies a vehement shouting or calling out.