English word obnoxious comes from Latin obnoxius (susceptible to harm), which itself comes from the Latin ob- (towards, facing, against) and noxia (harm, fault, injury). The word acquired its current sense (unplesant) in the 17th century under the influence of the word noxious
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| ob | Latin (lat) | Against; facing. In the direction of, to, towards. On account of, according to, because of, due to, for (the purpose of). |
| noxia | Latin (lat) | An injurious act, harm, fault, offence, trespass, wrongdoing, hurt, damage, injury. |
| obnoxius | Latin (lat) | Susceptible to harm. Vulnerable. Punishable, liable, guilty. Submissive, obedient, compliant. Susceptible to danger, misfortune, or weakness. Obliged, indebted. |
| obnoxiosus | Latin (lat) | Hurtful, injurious, dangerous; obnoxious. Submissive, subordinate, obedient. |
| obnoxious | English (en) | (archaic) exposed to harm or injury.. (preceded by "to feel") Ashamed; acutely aware of one's own offensive qualities.. Extremely unpleasant, offensive, very annoying, odious or contemptible. |
