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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > OBSTREPEROUS

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pronounce OBSTREPEROUS:

"ub STREP uh russ"

Or, if you prefer: "ob STREP uh russ."

Hear it.
connect this word to others:

You might describe an obstreperous crowd as rowdy, riotous, rambunctious, tumultuous, or v___f__ous.

Can you recall that last one? It has Latin bits that literally mean "(with a) voice that carries (far)."

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

"Obstreperous" traces back to Latin and literally means "making a noise against."

Obstreperous things and people are noisy in an aggressive or rebellious way.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "an obstreperous child;" "The mob grew obstreperous."

Other forms: 

Obstreperously, obstreperousness.

how to use it:

"Obstreperous" is a formal, semi-common word. It's more negative and critical than synonyms like "wild" and "boisterous."

Personally, I find it ugly and clunky—and therefore perfect for labeling loud, noisy, obnoxious behavior and people.

You might talk about obstreperous crowds and rallies, obstreperous faces and voices, obstreperous protesters and activists, or obstreperous shouts and demands.

Lastly, this is rare, but some writers have gotten more abstract, writing about obstreperous problems or obstreperous artistic movements. The New York Times referred to a show's title as obstreperous: "xgzdiiiiiicdiirrwjfffffffff." Really!

examples:

"Both squadrons whooped and hollered in an obstreperous rally that was becoming more paleolithic in nature in direct proportion to the number of drinks consumed."
   — Pat Conroy, The Great Santini, 1976

"No small matter to have the Illinois delegation under your nose at the podium, all those hecklers, fixers, flunkies, and musclemen scanning the audience as if to freeze certain obstreperous faces."
   — Norman Mailer, Miami and the Siege of Chicago, 1968

has this page helped you understand "obstreperous"?

   

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.


study it:

Explain the meaning of "obstreperous" without saying "unruly" or "raising a ruckus."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "The crowd at (some event) was obstreperous, (doing something loud and annoying)."

Example: "The crowd at the town hall was obstreperous, shouting over the congressman, pummeling him with questions and refusing to hear the answers."




before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for April: Interpret the Titles!

I'll give you the title of some book, movie, or other creation, along with a summary, and I'll challenge you to interpret the title in three different ways.

For examples, and some tips if you get stuck, head here!

Try this one today: Hidden Figures is a 2016 nonfiction book by Margot Lee Shetterly. Here's a summary from the publisher: "Set amid the civil rights movement, the never-before-told true story of NASA's African-American female mathematicians who played a crucial role in America's space program. Before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of professionals worked as 'Human Computers', calculating the flight paths that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women. Segregated from their white counterparts, these 'colored computers' used pencil and paper to write the equations that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space. Moving from World War II through NASA's golden age, touching on the civil rights era, the Space Race, the Cold War, and the women's rights movement, 'Hidden Figures' interweaves a rich history of mankind's greatest adventure with the intimate stories of five courageous women whose work forever changed the world."

1. It's titled Hidden Figures because... ?

2. It's titled Hidden Figures because... ?

3. It's titled Hidden Figures because... ?

To see some possible answers, scroll all the way down!

review this word:

1. Opposites of OBSTREPEROUS include

A. MEEK and OBEDIENT.
B. CLEAR and READABLE.
C. WARM and ENGAGING.

2. At the beginning of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout is obstreperous, quick to _____.

A. absorb everything her father tells her
B. sass her teacher and fight her classmates
C. escape into the yard to play with her brother and neighbor




Answers to the review questions:
1. A
2. B


Possible answers to the game questions:

1. It's titled Hidden Figures because it's about hidden people who perform mathematical calculations.

2. It's titled Hidden Figures because it's about historical figures who, until now, have been hidden.

3. It's titled Hidden Figures because it explores certain shapes ("figures") that have been hidden, like the shape of space exploration.


a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
      36 ways to study words.
      Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
      How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
      How to improve any sentence.
      How to motivate our kids to write.
      How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
      How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

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A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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