Meaning & use

obstreperous

adjective·Advanced

Noisy, unruly, and difficult to control, especially in resisting authority or discipline.

See it in a sentence

The obstreperous toddler screamed and kicked when his parents refused to buy him candy.

Security escorted the obstreperous fan out of the stadium after he shoved another spectator.

A note on using this word

Obstreperous often describes loud, defiant behavior toward rules or authority, stronger than simply noisy or rowdy.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “obstreperous”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.