different between scandalous vs obnoxious

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin scandalosus, via French scandaleuse; as if scandal + -ous.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?skænd?l?s/

Adjective

scandalous (comparative more scandalous, superlative most scandalous)

1. Wrong, immoral, causing a scandal
   • 1884, Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

     The thing made a big stir in the town, too, and a good many come out flatfooted and said it was scandalous to separate the mother and the children that way.

2. Malicious, defamatory.
   • 1592, Thomas Kyd, The Spanish Tragedie

     These be the scandalous reports of such / As loves not me, and hate my lord too much.

   • 1887, Marie Corelli, Thelma

     I always disregard gossip--it is generally scandalous, and seldom true.
3. Outrageous; exceeding reasonable limits.

Derived terms

• scandalously
• scandalousness

Translations

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