Obstreperous

Pronunciation: /əbˈstrɛpərəs/

Definitions of obstreperous

adjective noisy and difficult to control

Example Sentences

A1 The children were being obstreperous during the school assembly.

A2 The obstreperous crowd made it difficult for the speaker to be heard.

B1 The obstreperous behavior of the party guests caused a disturbance.

B2 Dealing with obstreperous customers can be challenging for retail employees.

C1 The obstreperous protesters were eventually escorted away by the police.

C2 The obstreperous students were reprimanded by the principal for their disruptive behavior.

Examples of obstreperous in a Sentence

formal The obstreperous behavior of the protesters led to their arrest.

informal The obstreperous kids were causing a ruckus in the playground.

slang I can't stand that obstreperous guy at the party, he's so annoying.

figurative The storm outside was obstreperous, with thunder and lightning filling the sky.

Grammatical Forms of obstreperous

• past tense: was obstreperous
• plural: obstreperouses
• comparative: more obstreperous
• superlative: most obstreperous
• present tense: is obstreperous
• future tense: will be obstreperous
• perfect tense: has been obstreperous
• continuous tense: is being obstreperous
• singular: obstreperous
• positive degree: obstreperous
• infinitive: to be obstreperous
• gerund: being obstreperous
• participle: obstreperously

Origin and Evolution of obstreperous

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'obstreperous' originated from Latin, specifically from the combination of the prefix 'ob-' meaning against or in the way, and 'strepere' meaning to make noise.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe someone who is noisy and unruly, the word 'obstreperous' has evolved to also convey the idea of being difficult to control or manage.