obtrusive

/əbˈtɹuːsɪv/

//əbˈtɹuːsɪv// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"obtrusive" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“obtrusive” is uncommon English (frequency #66,890 among 1,431 “O” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,890
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of a person: overly assertive, bold, or domineering; pushy; also, ostentatious.

Corpus desk

Index EN-obtrusive · obtrusive · English

obtrusive · rank #66,890 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #66,890
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH Oakleigh

Nearest frequency peer: Oakleigh (-2 rank slots)

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.

Long-tail ranks near “obtrusive”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “obtrusive” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for obtrusive
PropertyValue
Headwordobtrusive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əbˈtɹuːsɪv/
Letters9
Frequency rank#66,890
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “obtrusive” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).obtrusivefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Oakleigh” (#66,888), “ogling” (#66,892), “oink” (#66,893). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “obtrusive” is #66,890. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

obtrusive is uncommon English at frequency #66,890 among 1,431 “O” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /əbˈtɹuːsɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for obtrusive in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *h₁epi From Latin obtrūsus + English -ive (suffix meaning ‘of the nature of’, forming adjectives). Obtrūsus is the perfect passive participle of obtrūdō, a variant of obstrūdō (“to push, shove, or thrust against or into”), from ob- (prefix meaning… The correct English form is obtrusive, spelled O-B-T-R-U-S-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of a person: overly assertive, bold, or domineering; pushy; also, ostentatious.
  2. 2
    Of a thing: noticeable or prominent, especially in a displeasing way.
  3. 3
    Protruding or sticking out, especially in a way that obstructs.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The office manager is an unpleasantly obtrusive individual.
  2. Her vertue and the conſcience of her worth, / That would be woo'd, and not unfought be won, / Not obvious, not obtruſive, but retir'd, / The more deſirable, […]

Etymology

PIE word *h₁epi From Latin obtrūsus + English -ive (suffix meaning ‘of the nature of’, forming adjectives). Obtrūsus is the perfect passive participle of obtrūdō, a variant of obstrūdō (“to push, shove, or thrust against or into”), from ob- (prefix meaning ‘against; towards’) + trūdō (“to push, shove, or thrust”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *trewd- (“to push; to thrust”)).

This word in other languages

aufdringlich(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "obtrusive"?
"obtrusive" is spelled O-B-T-R-U-S-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əbˈtɹuːsɪv/.
What does "obtrusive" mean?
As an adjective, "obtrusive" means: Of a person: overly assertive, bold, or domineering; pushy; also, ostentatious.
How do you pronounce "obtrusive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obtrusive" is /əbˈtɹuːsɪv/. 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 "obtrusive"?
PIE word *h₁epi From Latin obtrūsus + English -ive (suffix meaning ‘of the nature of’, forming adjectives). Obtrūsus is the perfect passive participle of obtrūdō, a variant of obstrūdō (“to push, shove, or thrust against or into”), from ob- (pref... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "obtrusive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

oligopoly#66,894neuralgia#66,868peaceably#66,919perishing#66,920

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list