colourful, obstreperous, put someone off

For Vladimir Putin, Venezuela has become a colourful example of his claim to be restoring his country’s global influence

An exciting, well-researched work, which should appeal to anyone with an interest in the nature and progress of the human race.
—American Scientist

The cataclysmic clash of medical ideas and personalities comes to colorful life

Great Feuds in Medicine: Ten of the Liveliest Disputes Ever 1st Edition

by Hal Hellman  (Author)

• Hardcover: 252 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 1, 2002)

It doesn't seem to put off customers or business partners, a study found

Many Middle Eastern airlines exclude Israel from their online maps

From the archive

ECONOMIST.COM

One colourful theory is that Italy’s mafias have deterred jihadists from gaining a toehold


Why Italy has not yet suffered Islamist terrorism
From the archive
ECONOMIST.COM





EVEN in a region as turbulent as the Middle East, few men have been as influential, as colourful or as flawed as Prince Bandar bin Sultan. As the Saudi king’s personal envoy and then for more than 20 years his nation’s ambassador to Washington, DC, the prince dealt with—by David Ottaway’s estimation—“five US presidents, ten secretaries of state, 11 national security advisers, 16 sessions of Congress, an obstreperous American media, and hundreds of greedy politicians”.

• put someone off
• 1Cancel or postpone an appointment with someone.
  ‘he'd put off Martin until nine o'clock’
• 2Cause someone to lose interest or enthusiasm.
  ‘she wanted to be a nurse, but the thought of night shifts put her off’

  1. 2.1Cause someone to feel dislike or distrust.
     ‘she had a coldness that just put me off’
• 3Distract someone.
  ‘don't put me off—I'm trying to concentrate’

 colourful

• Having much or varied colour; bright.

  ‘a colourful array of fruit’
• 2Full of interest; lively and exciting.

  ‘a controversial and colourful character’

  ‘a colourful account’

  1. 2.1 Involving variously disreputable activities.
     ‘the financier had had a colourful career’
  2. 2.2 (of language) vulgar or rude.
     ‘she made it clear, in colourful language, that she did not wish to talk to the police’

ob・strep・er・ous

━━ a. 騒々しい; 暴れる; 手に負えない.
 ob・strep・er・ous・ly　━━ ad.
 ob・strep・er・ous・ness　━━ n.

obstreperous
adjective FORMAL
too eager to have an argument; difficult to deal with and noisy:
obstreperous customers

obstreperousness
noun [U] FORMAL