Obstreperous
[əb-STREP-ər-əs]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin, 17th century
1.
Rowdy, rambunctious, and noisy
2.
Stubborn, uncooperative, or difficult to control
Examples of Obstreperous in a sentence
"School recess is full of obstreperous children running out their energy before settling back in class."
"The obstreperous bulldog was in need of obedience classes, because he wouldn’t pay attention to anyone."
About Obstreperous
There are many nuances in the adjectives used to describe something noisy and drawing attention. Obstreperous usually implies a protest; clamorous is more insistent. If you’re boisterous you’re demonstrating excitement and high spirits. Vociferous means an intense shouting. And chromatic? You’re just colorful.
Did you Know?
Obstreperous implies a deliberate protest and resistance to being quieted. This comes from its Latin roots: “ob-” meaning against and “strepere” meaning to make a noise. When you’re frustrated at an obstreperous child throwing a temper tantrum, try to channel your inner Zen and figure out just what it is they’re protesting.
