Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To impose (oneself or one's ideas) on others with undue insistence or without invitation.
  • intransitive verb To thrust out; push forward.
  • intransitive verb To impose oneself on others.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To thrust prominently forward; especially, to thrust forward with undue prominence or importunity, or without solicitation; force forward or upon any one: often reflexive: as, to obtrude one's self or one's opinions upon a person's notice.
  • Synonyms Intrude, Obtrude. See intrude.
  • To be thrust or to thrust one's self prominently into notice, especially in an unwelcome manner; intrude.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To thrust one's self upon a company or upon attention; to intrude.
  • transitive verb To thrust impertinently; to present to a person without warrant or solicitation.
  • transitive verb To offer with unreasonable importunity; to urge unduly or against the will.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb thrust oneself in as if by force
  • verb push to thrust outward

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin obtrūdere : ob-, against; see ob– + trūdere, to thrust; see treud- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin obtrūdō ("thrust off or against"), from ob- ("ob-") + trūdō ("thrust").

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Examples

  • A mere resumé of the topics discussed in these essays is enough to make the two horns of the dilemma obtrude themselves.

    The Poet's Poet : essays on the character and mission of the poet as interpreted in English verse of the last one hundred and fifty years Elizabeth Atkins

  • I've decided to use the word "obtrude" more, because I'm reading a book that keeps using the word.

    Archive 2007-08-01 Ann Althouse 2007

  • “The materialist who is convinced that all phenomena arise from electrons and quanta and the like controlled by mathematical formulae, must presumably hold that his wife is a rather elaborate differential equation; but he is probably tactful enough not to obtrude this opinion in domestic life.”

    September 12th, 2009 m_francis 2009

  • When I promised myself the pleasure of meeting with you at Clare Hall I undoubtedly meant what I said but who shall say exactly what the obstacles may be that may obtrude themselves between the wish and the accomplishment!

    Letter 252 2009

  • He controlled himself, he knew not why, save that he was possessed by a nebulous awareness that Skipper must be considered as a god should be considered, and that this was no time to obtrude himself on Skipper.

    CHAPTER VII 2010

  • Because alone perhaps among the writers of the genre and the time, Ransome never lets the adult world, viewpoint, superiority obtrude.

    MIND MELD: Members of Book View Cafe Reveal Their Favorite Books 2009

  • But for Branch another problem of principle started to obtrude itself at once.

    What Was Bill Thinking? 2009

  • In Heidegger's philosophy, people will resist imperfect equipment, especially when its faults obtrude upon their interactions with the world.

    enowning enowning 2009

  • In Heidegger's philosophy, people will resist imperfect equipment, especially when its faults obtrude upon their interactions with the world.

    Archive 2009-04-01 enowning 2009

  • As a general point of order: If you assume people are not qualified to enter into your theological argument, why do you obtrude it into a different discussion?

    On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2009

Comments

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  • To force or impose (one's self, remarks, opinions, etc.) on others with undue insistence or without solicitation.

    Moreover, crime is something which the citizen is happy to forget when it does not obtrude itself into public consciousness.

    -- "Voting On Crime", Irish Times, May 30, 1997

    For the next few months, Polidori continued to obtrude himself on Byron's attention in every possible way -- popping into every conversation, sulking when he was ignored, challenging Percy Bysshe Shelley to a duel, attacking an apothecary and getting arrested "accidentally" banging his employer on the knee with an oar and saying he wasn't sorry -- until finally Byron dismissed him.

    -- Angeline Goreau, "Physician, Behave Thyself", New York Times, September 3, 1989

    He was, in his relationships with his few close friends, a considerate, delightful, sensitive, helpful, unpretentious person who did not obtrude his social and political views, nor make agreeing with them a condition of steadfast friendship.

    -- Alden Whitman, "Daring Lindbergh Attained the Unattainable With Historic Flight Across Atlantic", New York Times, August 27, 1974

    And, as is common in books sewn together from previously published essays, certain redundancies obtrude.

    -- Maxine Kumin, "First, Perfect Fear; Then, Universal Love", New York Times, October 17, 1993

    Obtrude is from Latin obtrudere, "to thrust upon, to force," from ob, "in front of, before" + trudere, "to push, to thrust."

    May 19, 2008