obnoxious

adj

Etymology: PIE word *h₁epi Learned borrowing from Latin obnoxiōsus (“subject to someone, under someone’s authority”) + English -ous (suffix denoting the presence of a quality in any degree, typically an abundance). Obnoxiōsus is derived from obnoxius (“guilty, punishable; subject to someone, under someone’s authority”) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of; overly; prone to’, forming adjectives from nouns).

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.”

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. Exposed or vulnerable to something, especially harm or injury.

   “[T]he reſidence and the ſingle liuinges of miniſters preſume not onely to annihilate the ſolemne ordinations of ſuch as the Church muſt of force admit, but alſo to vrge a kinde of vniuerſall proſcription againſt them, to ſet dovvne articles to dravv commiſſions, and almoſt to name themſelues of the Quorum for inquirie into mens eſtates and dealings, vvhom at their pleaſure they vvould depriue and make obnoxious to vvhat puniſhment themſelues liſt, […]”

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

4. Causing 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. Deserving 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.”

6. Under 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. Followed 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; […]”