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Synonym Chooser

How is the word obstreperous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of obstreperous are blatant, boisterous, clamorous, strident, and vociferous. While all these words mean "so loud or insistent as to compel attention," obstreperous suggests unruly and aggressive noisiness and resistance to restraint.

the obstreperous demonstrators were arrested

Where would blatant be a reasonable alternative to obstreperous?

The words blatant and obstreperous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, blatant implies an offensive bellowing or insensitive loudness.

blatant rock music
a blatant clamor for impeachment

When can boisterous be used instead of obstreperous?

The words boisterous and obstreperous can be used in similar contexts, but boisterous suggests a noisiness and turbulence due to high spirits.

a boisterous crowd of party goers

When is clamorous a more appropriate choice than obstreperous?

The meanings of clamorous and obstreperous largely overlap; however, clamorous may imply insistency as well as vociferousness in demanding or protesting.

clamorous demands for prison reforms

When might strident be a better fit than obstreperous?

In some situations, the words strident and obstreperous are roughly equivalent. However, strident suggests harsh and discordant noise.

heard the strident cry of the crow

In what contexts can vociferous take the place of obstreperous?

The synonyms vociferous and obstreperous are sometimes interchangeable, but vociferous implies a vehement shouting or calling out.

vociferous cries of protest and outrage

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obstreperous The patience that administrators initially displayed toward their most obstreperous students ran out when the antisocial campus bacchanalia, and their tolerance thereof, did reputational damage to their host institutions. Noah Rothman, National Review, 2 Jan. 2024 The Sun has become increasingly obstreperous lately, and the results here on Earth have been nothing short of dazzling – but also disruptive. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2023 The Boston Tea Party also symbolizes something obstreperous in the American character. The Editors, National Review, 16 Dec. 2023 Those old enough to have encountered the waxy brown goop may have even undertaken the ritual of removing the obstreperous material from cars made from the 1970s through 1990s. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2023 See All Example Sentences for obstreperous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obstreperous
Adjective
  • Bongino, a 50-year-old former Secret Service agent turned conservative-media commentator, is instead most well known for his outspoken support for Trump and his frequent spreading of misinformation, including about the FBI.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Filming their every outspoken thought and conversation whether in the newsroom, at home, on the street or in cars driving around frigid Moscow, the director channels the growing sense of dread as the government crackdown accelerates and the war nears.
    Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The wildly rebellious press across Europe are a vibrant sign of its free speech.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 14 Feb. 2025
  • Luna will meet with rebellious Uranus in a surprising trine, bringing a jolt of excitement and unexpected revelations to your love life.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Within the entertainment industry, there’s a small but vocal constituency.
    Peter Kiefer, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2025
  • This is also not the ideal scenario for Arenado, who has been vocal about his desires to compete for a championship-level club — something the Cardinals do not project to be in the immediate future.
    Katie Woo, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The rebel group’s capture of swathes of the east and valuable mineral deposits has fanned fears of a wider war.
    Reuters, CNN, 24 Feb. 2025
  • When militants led by the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham reached Damascus last December, the capital fell without a fight.
    Marwan Muasher, Foreign Affairs, 21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • And the tiny town of Dalton, Georgia, home of the largest solar panel manufacturing plant in the western hemisphere and source of about 2,000 jobs, is in the district represented by Marjorie Taylor Greene, a vociferous climate-change skeptic who has nonetheless cheered the factory.
    Bob Woods, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2025
  • The fans, some of the most vociferous in the world, were in open rebellion.
    James Horncastle, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • That’s a defiant stance for a horror movie to take.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Pierce answered all of them in resounding, almost defiant, fashion.
    James Boyd, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Some called it a blatant act of interference in the German elections, which were then about a week away.
    Simon Shuster/Berlin, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025
  • For many, this was blatant and disruptive interference in domestic electoral politics – not unlike the subtler versions of election meddling that the transatlantic partners have frequently attributed to nefarious outside actors, including Russia and China.
    Howard LaFranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Still facing a stubborn staffing crunch, the New York City Department of Correction will require officers to work mandatory 12-hour tours in a number of city jails, a move immediately criticized by their union.
    Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Fiscal and monetary policy are walking a tightrope between weak real growth and stubborn inflation.
    William Pesek, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Obstreperous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obstreperous. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

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