objectionable

objectionable — adjective

1. so rude, offensive, or morally wrong that other people feel upset, annoyed, or w

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

so rude, offensive, or morally wrong that other people feel upset, annoyed, or want to complain.

Example

Many parents found the cartoon's jokes about disabled children deeply objectionable.

find something objectionable

Mr. Patel refused to share a table with the loud, objectionable man at the cafe.

Common collocations
  • deeply objectionable
  • highly objectionable
  • morally objectionable
  • objectionable behaviour
  • objectionable language
  • objectionable content
  • find something objectionable
Synonyms
  • offensive

    stronger; usually about words or images that insult a group

  • obnoxious

    more informal; often about a person's loud or rude behaviour

  • distasteful

    softer; suggests bad taste rather than serious offence

  • unacceptable

    focuses on rules or standards being broken, not feelings

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

find something objectionable

objectionable to someone

Usage Note

Subject is usually behaviour, language, content, or a person whose conduct upsets others — not physical objects or weather. Often appears in formal complaints, reviews, and news writing rather than casual speech.

Common Mistakes

The weather was objectionable yesterday.
The weather was unpleasant yesterday.
'objectionable' is about moral or social offence, not discomfort.
I find this soup objectionable.
I find this soup unpleasant.
taste and minor dislikes use 'unpleasant' or 'awful'; reserve 'objectionable' for things that cause real offence.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe things that other people dislike, but the strength and target differ. 'Objectionable' is the most formal and is common in complaints, reviews, and policy writing — it suggests there are good grounds to protest. 'Offensive' is stronger and usually points at words or images that insult a group, as in 'offensive racial jokes'. 'Obnoxious' is more informal and is most often aimed at a person whose loud, rude, or pushy manner annoys those nearby, as in 'an obnoxious neighbour'. 'Distasteful' is softer and hints at poor taste rather than serious offence, as in 'a distasteful joke at a funeral'. Choose 'objectionable' when you want a measured, written tone of disapproval.

objectionable ↗offensive ↗obnoxiousdistasteful

Common collocations

Nouns

  • objectionable behaviour
  • objectionable content
  • objectionable language
  • objectionable material
  • objectionable remarks

Adverbs

  • deeply objectionable
  • highly objectionable
  • morally objectionable
  • particularly objectionable

Phrases

  • find something objectionable
  • consider something objectionable

Prepositions

  • objectionable to (someone)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Built in English in the early 1700s from the verb 'object' (meaning to argue against something) plus the suffix '-able' (able to be). The verb 'object' itself came from Latin 'obiectare', meaning to throw something in the way. So 'objectionable' literally describes anything that someone could reasonably throw an objection at.