obnoxious
UK[əbˈnɒkʃəs]US[əbˈnɑːkʃəs]
adj
Extremely unpleasant or offensive, especially in a way that makes you feel annoyed or angry.
Morpheme Breakdown
ob
nox
ious
ob
toward, against, in the way of
nox
harm, injury, hurt
ious
full of, characterized by
Etymology
The word "obnoxious" originates from Latin obnoxius, which meant "exposed to harm, liable, submissive." This was formed from ob- ("toward, against") and noxa ("harm, injury"). The literal sense was "being in a position where one is exposed or vulnerable to punishment or injury." Over time, the meaning in English shifted from the state of being liable to harm to the characteristic of causing harm or offense. By the 17th century, it had evolved to describe someone or something actively unpleasant, annoying, or objectionable, effectively turning the direction of the harm from inward to outward.
Analysis
Structure: ob + nox + ious
- ob: A Latin prefix meaning "toward, against, in the way of".
- nox: A Latin root from noxa, meaning "harm, injury, hurt".
- ious: A Latin-derived suffix forming adjectives, meaning "full of, characterized by".
Examples
His obnoxious behavior at the party drove several guests to leave early.
The comedian's obnoxious jokes were more offensive than funny.
We had to endure the obnoxious smell from the chemical plant all afternoon.