obtrude

/əbˈtɹuːd/

//əbˈtɹuːd// verb

"obtrude" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“obtrude” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To proffer (something) by force; to impose (something) on someone or into some area.

Corpus desk

Index EN-obtrude · obtrude · English

obtrude · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "O" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for obtrude
PropertyValue
Headwordobtrude
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əbˈtɹuːd/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “obtrude” in English

obtrudesits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

obtrude is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /əbˈtɹuːd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for obtrude in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin obtrūdō (“thrust off or against”), from ob- (“ob-”) + trūdō (“thrust”). The correct English form is obtrude, spelled O-B-T-R-U-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To proffer (something) by force; to impose (something) on someone or into some area.
  2. 2
    To become apparent in an unwelcome way, to be forcibly imposed; to jut in, to intrude (on or into).
  3. 3
    To impose (oneself) on others; to cut in.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how obtrude appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. By which we may see, that they who are not called to Counsell, can have no good Counsell in such cases to obtrude.
  2. It was unusual with Margaret to obtrude her own subject of conversation on others; but, in this case, she was so anxious to prevent Mr. Thornton from feeling annoyance at the words he had accidentally overheard, that it was not until she had done speaking that she coloured all over with consciousness […]

Etymology

From Latin obtrūdō (“thrust off or against”), from ob- (“ob-”) + trūdō (“thrust”).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "obtrude"?
"obtrude" is spelled O-B-T-R-U-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əbˈtɹuːd/.
What does "obtrude" mean?
As a verb, "obtrude" means: To proffer (something) by force; to impose (something) on someone or into some area.
How do you pronounce "obtrude"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obtrude" is /əbˈtɹuːd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "obtrude"?
From Latin obtrūdō (“thrust off or against”), from ob- (“ob-”) + trūdō (“thrust”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list