Definition of "obnoxious"

The disturbance had commenced, like those of England, in the refusal of the parliament to sanction an obnoxious tax; but here all resemblance ended.

1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter VII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), page 74

For my part, thumb-marks [in books] I find very obnoxious—far more so than the spoiling of the binding.

1867, George MacDonald, “Sermon on God and Mammon”, in Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood […], volume I, London: Hurst and Blackett, publishers, successors to Henry Colburn, […], page 359

Someone jolted my arm and the contents of my glass spilled onto an immaculate white dress. I felt obnoxious.

1989, Antônio Torres, Blues for a Lost Childhood: A Novel of Brazil, Columbia, La.: Readers International, page 41

I would have been nine or ten when my mother chased me up a thorn tree with a ceremonial hippo-hide whip. What my crime was, I forget. My mother was, and remains, a woman of exceptional forbearance. I must have done something so obnoxious as to beggar belief.

2003, David Bennun, “After the Earthquake”, in Tick Bite Fever, London: Ebury Press, published 2004, page 109

He felt obnoxious and knew perfectly well that he would have no explanation whatsoever had anyone discovered him, but she looked so alluring, so untroubled, so fortunate, that his only concern was the terrible crack the shutter made...quiet as it was.

2013, Molly Cutpurse [pseudonym?], chapter 5, in Dark Man, [United Kingdom: Lulu.com], page 44

I always feel out of place when I am around people. I feel obnoxious if I laugh or talk too much.

2013 December 13, Catherine Hilterbrant, chapter 16, in Drive-by Psychosis, Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse, page 51

[T]he reſidence and the ſingle liuinges of miniſters preſume not onely to annihilate the ſolemne ordinations of ſuch as the Church muſt of force admit, but alſo to vrge a kinde of vniuerſall proſcription againſt them, to ſet dovvne articles to dravv commiſſions, and almoſt to name themſelues of the Quorum for inquirie into mens eſtates and dealings, vvhom at their pleaſure they vvould depriue and make obnoxious to vvhat puniſhment themſelues liſt, […]

1597, Richard Hooker, “The Author of the Abstract”, in J[ohn] S[penser], editor, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], 2nd edition, London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, book V, page 449

Thinke but hovv poore thou vvaſt, hovv obnoxious; / VVhom a ſmall lumpe of fleſh could poyſon thus.

1612, J[ohn] Donne, “Of the Progresse of the Soule. Wherein, by Occasion of the Religious Death of Mistris Elizabeth Drury, the Incommodities of the Soule in this Life, and her Exaltation in the Next, are Contemplated. The Second Anniversary.”, in Poems, […] with Elegies on the Authors Death, London: […] M[iles] F[lesher] for Iohn Marriot, […], published 1633, page 265

[M]elancholy perſons amongſt other paſſions and perturbations of the mind, are moſt obnoxious to it [jealousy].

1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Iealosie, His Equivocations, Name, Definition, Extent, Severall Kindes, of Princes, Parents, Friends, in Beasts, Men, before Marriage, as Corriuals, or after as in This Place”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy, […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, partition 3, section 3, member 1, subsection 1, page 662

The Almond-tree is of all others the moſt obnoxious to Froſts, by reaſon of his early bloſſoming; […]

1658, [Nicolas de Bonnefons], “[The First Treatise.] Section VII. Of Trees and Shrubs in Particular, How They are to be Governed, and Their Maladies Cured.”, in John Evelyn, transl., The French Gardiner: Instructing How to Cultivate All Sorts of Fruit-trees, and Herbs for the Garden: […], 2nd edition, London: […] J[ohn] M[artyn] for John Crooke, […], published 1669, page 82

To begin then vvith his Experiment of the burning VVood, it ſeems to me to be obnoxious to not a fevv conſiderable Exceptions.

1661, Robert Boyle, “Physiological Considerations Touching the Experiments Wont to be Employed to Evince either the IV Peripatetick Elements, or the III Chymical Principls of Mixt Bodies. Part of the First Dialogue.”, in The Sceptical Chymist: or Chymico-physical Doubts & Paradoxes, […], London: […] J. Cadwell for J. Crooke, […], page 26

Novv then, vve being thus obnoxious to fallacy in our apprehenſions and judgements, and ſo often impoſed upon by theſe deceptions; our Inferences and Deductions muſt needs be as unvvarrantable, as our ſimple and compound thoughts are deceitful.

1661, Joseph Glanvill, “A Fourth Reason of Our Ignorance and Error, viz. the Fallacy of Our Imaginations; […]”, in The Vanity of Dogmatizing: Or Confidence in Opinions. […], London: […] E. C[otes] for Henry Eversden […]; reprinted in The Vanity of Dogmatizing […] (Series III: Philosophy; 6), New York, N.Y.: For the Facsimile Text Society by Columbia University Press, 1931, page 102

'Tis true, the Tovvn of Manſoul vvas ſtrong, and (vvith a proviſo) impregnable; but you, the Tovvnſmen have vveakened it, and it novv lyes obnoxious to its foes; […]

1682, John Bunyan, “[Talk betwixt Mr. Carnal Security, and Mr. Godly-fear]”, in The Holy War, Made by Shaddai upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the World. […], London: […] Dorman Newman […]; and Benjamin Alsop […], page 243

It is our comfort, while we are obnoxious to so many accidents, that we are under the care of One who directs contingencies, […]

1712 August 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “SATURDAY, July 26, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 441; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume V, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, page 173

The wicked Soul, who had assum'd again / A form of sensible flesh, for his foul will, / Still bent on base revenge, and baffled still, / Felt that corporeal shape alike to pain / Obnoxious as to pleasure: […]

1810, Robert Southey, “Jaga-naut”, in The Curse of Kehama, London: […] [F]or Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], by James Ballantyne and Co. […], page 154