ob·strep·er·ous
Audio Help [uh
b-strep-er-uh
s] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
Audio Help [uh
b-strep-er-uh
s] Pronunciation Key –adjective
| 1. | resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner; unruly. |
| 2. | noisy, clamorous, or boisterous: obstreperous children. |
[Origin: 1590–1600; < L obstreperus clamorous, akin to obstrepere to make a noise at (ob- ob- + strepere to rattle); see -ous
]
] —Related forms
ob·strep·er·ous·ly, adverb
ob·strep·er·ous·ness, ob·strep·e·ros·i·ty
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b-strep-uh-ros-i-tee] Pronunciation Key, noun
Audio Help [uh
b-strep-uh-ros-i-tee] Pronunciation Key, noun —Synonyms 1. uncontrolled, refractory.
—Antonyms 1. obedient. 2. calm.
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
obstreperous
To learn more about obstreperous visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| ob·strep·er·ous
Audio Help (ŏb-strěp'ər-əs, əb-) Pronunciation Key
adj.
[From Latin obstreperus, noisy, from obstrepere, to make a noise against : ob-, against; see ob- + strepere, to make a noise (of imitative origin).] ob·strep'er·ous·ly adv., ob·strep'er·ous·ness n. |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
obstreperous
1600, from L. obstreperus "clamorous," from obstrepere "drown with noise, oppose noisily," from ob "against" + strepere "make a noise," from PIE *strep-, said to be imitative.
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| obstreperous | |
adjective | |
| 1. | noisily and stubbornly defiant; "obstreperous boys" |
| 2. | boisterously and noisily aggressive; "kept up an obstreperous clamor" |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
Obstreperous
Ob*strep"er*ous\, a. [L. obstreperus, from obstrepere to make a noise at; ob (see Ob-) + strepere to make a noise.] Attended by, or making, a loud and tumultuous noise; clamorous; noisy; vociferous. "The obstreperous city." --Wordsworth. "Obstreperous approbation." --Addison. Beating the air with their obstreperous beaks. --B. Jonson. -- Ob*strep"er*ous*ly, adv. -- Ob*strep"er*ous*ness, n.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
obstreperous
obstreperous was Word of the Day on May 28, 2001.
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