different between despicable vs obnoxious

English

Etymology

1550s, from Late Latin despicabilis, from Latin d?spicor, a variant of d?spici? (“I despise”), from de (“down”) + speci? (“I look at, behold”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??sp?k?b?l/, /?d?sp?k?b?l/

Adjective

despicable (comparative more despicable, superlative most despicable)

1. Fit or deserving to be despised; contemptible; mean

   Synonyms: vile, evil, mean, contemptible

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:despicable

Antonyms

• honorable

Translations

Noun

despicable (plural despicables)

1. A wretched or wicked person.

References

English

Alternative forms

• obnoctious (obsolete)

Etymology

From Latin obnoxi?sus (“hurtful, injurious, dangerous”), from obnoxius (“punishable; liable to danger”), from ob (“against; facing”) + noxia (“hurt, injury, damage”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?b?n?k??s/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?b?n?k??s/

Adjective

obnoxious (comparative more obnoxious, superlative most obnoxious)

1. Extremely unpleasant or offensive; very annoying, odious or contemptible.

2. (archaic) Exposing to harm or injury.
   • 1661, Robert Boyle, The Sceptical Chymist, page 26,

     To begin then with his Experiment of the burning Wood, it seems to me to be obnoxious to not a few considerable Exceptions.

Synonyms

• annoying    [WS]
• unpleasant    [WS]

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “obnoxious”, in Online Etymology Dictionary