ob-2 +
(Latin: against)
Before c, ob- becomes oc-; before f, ob- becomes of-; before g, ob- becomes og-; before p, ob- becomes op-; before m, ob- becomes o-
Stubbornness and not doing something the way another person wants it to be done: Trisha's obduracy about being home by a specific time after the dance angered her parents.
obdurate (AHB doo rit) (adjective), more obdurate, most obdurate
1. Stubborn or unyielding; obstinate: Caroline responded with an obdurate refusal to arrive for work on Thanksgiving Day when her supervisor told her to show up.
3. Etymology: from Latin ob-, "against" + durus, "hard", therefore "hardened against".
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
Trina's obdurate little girl refused to eat her vegetables at dinner.
2. Hardened in feelings or heart; not repentant: Bob's cousin was an obdurate criminal who refused to change his ways.3. Etymology: from Latin ob-, "against" + durus, "hard", therefore "hardened against".
The Latin durus, "hard", has also given English such words as "durable" and "duration" (the period of time during which anything is hard enough to last), and "duress" (hard treatment, or coercion, which forces a person to do something even when he or she doesn't want to do it).
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more Mickey Bach illustrations.
1. To offer a reason or argument in opposition.
2. To express or feel disapproval, dislike, or distaste; be averse to.
3. To refuse or attempt to refuse to permit some action, speech, etc.
4. Anything that is visible or tangible and is relatively stable in form.
2. A thing, person, or matter to which thought or action is directed: "It was an object of medical investigation."
3. The end toward which effort or action is directed; a goal; a purpose: "Profit is the object of any business."
2. To express or feel disapproval, dislike, or distaste; be averse to.
3. To refuse or attempt to refuse to permit some action, speech, etc.
4. Anything that is visible or tangible and is relatively stable in form.
2. A thing, person, or matter to which thought or action is directed: "It was an object of medical investigation."
3. The end toward which effort or action is directed; a goal; a purpose: "Profit is the object of any business."
1. A reason or argument offered in disagreement, opposition, refusal, or disapproval.
2. The act of objecting.
3. A ground or cause for objecting.
4. A feeling of disapproval, dislike, or disagreement.
2. The act of objecting.
3. A ground or cause for objecting.
4. A feeling of disapproval, dislike, or disagreement.
objectionable (adjective), more objectionable, most objectionable
Referring to offensive speech, manners, etiquette, propriety, etc.; unacceptable: Mike's mother could not tolerate his objectionable behavior any more, so she sent him to his room.
Something that a person's efforts or actions are intended to accomplish; such as, a purpose, a goal, or a target: The objective of the military attack was to rescue the prisoners in enemy control.
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
The objective of the recent fund-raising drive was to help the hurricane victims.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
1. A state or condition of disgrace resulting from public abuse or defamation: The head of the secret police resigned in obloquy because his department's secrets had been leaked to the press.
2. Evil-speaking directed against a person or thing; abuse, detraction, calumny, or slander: The newspapers engaged in vicious obloquies against the corrupt city official.
3. Evil reputation, bad repute; a disgrace: The gangster tried to make up for his history of obloquies by donating great sums of money to charities.
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
2. Evil-speaking directed against a person or thing; abuse, detraction, calumny, or slander: The newspapers engaged in vicious obloquies against the corrupt city official.
3. Evil reputation, bad repute; a disgrace: The gangster tried to make up for his history of obloquies by donating great sums of money to charities.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more Mickey Bach illustrations.
obnoxious (adjective), more obnoxious, most obnoxious
1. Highly objectionable or offensive; odious: Mary's obnoxious behavior in the English class could be tolerated no longer; so, she was sent to the principal's office.
2. Annoying or objectionable due to being a showoff or attracting undue attention to oneself: Brian's little boy was an obnoxious little brat.
3. Etymology: from Latin obnoxius, "exposed to harm" was the original meaning of obnoxious in English, in the sixteenth century.
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
2. Annoying or objectionable due to being a showoff or attracting undue attention to oneself: Brian's little boy was an obnoxious little brat.
3. Etymology: from Latin obnoxius, "exposed to harm" was the original meaning of obnoxious in English, in the sixteenth century.
The current meaning dates from the seventeenth century, and came to develop its sense because of its association with noxious so that for a time it actually meant "harmful", as noxious does.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
"Whatever people in general do not understand, they are always prepared to dislike; the incomprehensible is always the obnoxious."
obnoxiously (adverb), more obnoxiously, most obnoxiously
Relating to being very unpleasant or rude: Herald and his friends were obnoxiously arrogant as they continued to play very loud music during their party after midnight.
obsess, (verb) obsesses; obsessed; obsessing
1. To dominate or to occupy the thoughts, feelings, or desires of someone; to beset, to trouble, or to haunt persistently or abnormally: Suspicions about his neighbor's honesty obsessed Matthew.
2. To occupy someone's thoughts constantly, compulsively, and exclusively: The desire for revenge about the way she was treated so badly by her fellow workers obsessed Marge's sister for a long time.
3. Etymology: from Latin obsessus, past participle of obsidere, "to besiege, to occupy". Literally, "to sit opposite to", from ob, "against" + sedere "to sit".
© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
2. To occupy someone's thoughts constantly, compulsively, and exclusively: The desire for revenge about the way she was treated so badly by her fellow workers obsessed Marge's sister for a long time.
3. Etymology: from Latin obsessus, past participle of obsidere, "to besiege, to occupy". Literally, "to sit opposite to", from ob, "against" + sedere "to sit".
Of evil spirits, "to haunt", is from 1540. Obsession was originally (1513), "the act of besieging", then "hostile action of the devil or an evil spirit" (1605). The meaning "persistent influence or idea" is first recorded in 1680.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
An obstruction blocking the way or hindering progress: The obstacle in the road had to be removed before it was possible to continue the journey.
obstruct, obstructs, obstructed, obstructing (verb forms)
1. To block or to fill (a passage) with obstacles or an obstacle: "A fallen tree obstructed the road."
2. To impede, to retard, or to interfere with; to hinder: "A lack of money obstructed the project."
3. To be in the way and to prevent a clear view of something: "A big spectator obstructed our view of the stage."
4. Etymology: from the Latin prefix ob-, "before" + struere, "to build, to pile up"; hence, to build or to pile up an obstacle in front of something.
2. To impede, to retard, or to interfere with; to hinder: "A lack of money obstructed the project."
3. To be in the way and to prevent a clear view of something: "A big spectator obstructed our view of the stage."
4. Etymology: from the Latin prefix ob-, "before" + struere, "to build, to pile up"; hence, to build or to pile up an obstacle in front of something.
obviate (verb), obviates; obviated; obviating
1. To anticipate and to prevent or to eliminate difficulties, disadvantages, etc. by effective means: Because Joe and his family were going on their vacation the following day, he decided to obviate the possibility of running out of gas by going to the station and getting as much fuel as possible for his car before leaving.
2. To render unnecessary: to eliminate the risk of serious injury: Jack decided to obviate the problem of a plague of insects in his kitchen by keeping it as clean as possible!
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
2. To render unnecessary: to eliminate the risk of serious injury: Jack decided to obviate the problem of a plague of insects in his kitchen by keeping it as clean as possible!
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
obvious (adjective), more obvious, most obvious
1. Easily perceived or understood.
2. Eeasily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind.
2. Eeasily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind.
oppose (verb), opposes; opposed; opposing
1. To act against or provide resistance to; to combat: The same two teams had opposed each other in previous playoffs.
2. To stand in the way of; to hinder; to obstruct: The change is opposed by many of the town's business leaders.
3. To set as an obstacle or an adversary: Sharon met the candidate who will be opposing her in the next election.
4. To be hostile or adverse to, as in opinion: Henry strongly opposed the resolution in the proposal to increase local taxes.
5. To determine as an impediment or a hindrance: The group that opposes the mayor is trying to find a candidate who might be able to successfully oppose her in the upcoming election.
2. To stand in the way of; to hinder; to obstruct: The change is opposed by many of the town's business leaders.
3. To set as an obstacle or an adversary: Sharon met the candidate who will be opposing her in the next election.
4. To be hostile or adverse to, as in opinion: Henry strongly opposed the resolution in the proposal to increase local taxes.
5. To determine as an impediment or a hindrance: The group that opposes the mayor is trying to find a candidate who might be able to successfully oppose her in the upcoming election.
Showing page 1 out of 2 pages of 17 main-word entries or main-word-entry groups.