Obstreperous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əbˈstɹɛp.əɹ.əs/

Definitions

1. Noisily and stubbornly defiant or difficult to control, especially in a boisterous or unruly manner
2. Characterized by a loud and unruly behavior that resists control or authority, often causing disturbances in various settings
3. Marked by excessive noise and a rebellious attitude, making it challenging to manage or impose order

Etymology: Latin "obstrepere" was built from "ob", meaning "against" or "in the way of", and "strepere", meaning "to make a loud noise". Its adjective "obstreperus" described something that roared back at you, clamouring against an opposing force. English borrowed the adjective directly from Latin, and it arrived with that original sense of noise intact. The root "strepere" also gave English "strepitous", a near-synonym now almost forgotten, which suggests how closely the Latin family was tied to din. Here the word's history is simple: a direct borrowing, with the Latin prefix and verb carried over whole, and the meaning shifting only slightly from literal clamour toward the stubborn, hard-to-manage behaviour it describes now.

Synonyms: noisy, disorderly, unruly, rowdy, boisterous

Antonyms: quiet, peaceful, orderly, calm, subdued