obtrusive

/əbˈtruːsɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /əbˈtruːsɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /əb-ˈtrü-siv -ziv, äb-/ (ame, mw)

obtrusive — adjective

  • obtrusivepositive
  • more obtrusivecomparative
  • most obtrusivesuperlative

1. drawing attention in an unwelcome way — for example, a loud advertisement on a q

1.形容詞C1
釋義

drawing attention in an unwelcome way — for example, a loud advertisement on a quiet street, or a sales clerk who keeps asking questions while you browse.

例句

Hao replaced the obtrusive neon sign above the café with a small wooden plaque.

attributive: obtrusive + noun (visual annoyance)

The waiter at Emre's restaurant was friendly without being obtrusive about refilling glasses.

predicative: be obtrusive about + gerund

同義詞
  • intrusive

    near-synonym; 'intrusive' suggests crossing into someone's private space, while 'obtrusive' emphasises being visually or audibly hard to ignore.

  • conspicuous

    neutral or even positive — 'conspicuous' just means easy to see; 'obtrusive' adds the judgement that the attention is unwanted.

  • glaring

    stronger and more visual; 'glaring' suggests something bright or obviously wrong, while 'obtrusive' covers any unwelcome prominence.

反義詞
  • unobtrusive

    direct opposite — quiet, blending in, not drawing notice.

  • discreet

    carefully designed not to attract attention, often about behaviour or items chosen for that purpose.

用法筆記

Frequently attributive before a noun (an obtrusive logo, an obtrusive ringtone). When predicative, often paired with 'too' or a negative ('not too obtrusive'). Subject is usually an inanimate object, sound, or sign whose presence disturbs the surrounding scene.

常見錯誤

❌The host was very obtrusive at the dinner.
✅The host kept interrupting at the dinner, which felt obtrusive.
💡'obtrusive' rarely describes a whole person; it usually describes a behaviour, object, or sound that intrudes on a scene.

2. physically projecting outward from a surface so that the shape is hard to miss —

2.形容詞C2
釋義

physically projecting outward from a surface so that the shape is hard to miss — for example, a bolt that pokes out from a wall panel, or a tree root rising above a footpath.

例句

Sirin tripped on an obtrusive tree root that had pushed up through the garden path.

attributive: physical projection from a surface

Devika filed down the obtrusive screw heads before painting the bookshelf.

attributive with 'screw heads / nails / bolts'

同義詞
  • protruding

    neutral and most direct — 'protruding' just describes shape; 'obtrusive' (sense 2) adds a slightly negative judgement that the projection is unwanted.

  • jutting

    vivid physical description, often of rocks or beams; 'obtrusive' is more formal and more critical.

反義詞
  • flush

    level with the surrounding surface, no projection at all.

  • recessed

    set back into a surface — the opposite design choice from leaving something obtrusive.

用法筆記

Restricted to physical, three-dimensional projections — bolts, roots, pipes, hinges. Distinguish from sense 1 (which is about unwelcome attention in general): only use sense 2 when the cause of the prominence is literally that something sticks out from its surroundings.

常見錯誤

❌The bright color of his shirt was obtrusive on the trail.
✅The bright color of his shirt was conspicuous on the trail.
💡sense 2 needs a real physical projection; for colours or sounds use 'conspicuous' or sense 1's wider meaning.