conspicuous
Americanadjective
-
easily seen or noticed; readily visible or observable.
a conspicuous error.
- Synonyms:
- salient, marked, clear, noticeable, manifest
-
attracting special attention, as by outstanding qualities or eccentricities.
He was conspicuous by his booming laughter.
- Synonyms:
- noteworthy, striking, prominent
adjective
-
clearly visible; obvious or showy
-
attracting attention because of a striking quality or feature
conspicuous stupidity
Other Word Forms
- conspicuity noun
- conspicuously adverb
- conspicuousness noun
Etymology
Origin of conspicuous
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin conspicuus “clearly seen, visible,” equivalent to conspic(ere) “to see, catch sight of” + -uus adjective suffix; conspectus; contiguous, continuous, -ous
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Does that sound fantastical? Yes, it totally sounds fantastical. That’s why it’s obscene and conspicuous and unbelievable, because it’s probably never going to happen.”
From Barron's
“Does that sound fantastical? Yes, it totally sounds fantastical. That’s why it’s obscene and conspicuous and unbelievable, because it’s probably never going to happen.”
From Barron's
“What else could defendants’ decisions to cut funding to specific counterterrorism programming by conspicuous round numbered amounts — including by slashing off the millions-place digits of awarded sums — be if not arbitrary and capricious?”
From Salon
Patel ordered a fleet of the high-end vehicles for the FBI, “for the purpose of being less conspicuous on his outings,” the report says, citing four anonymous sources familiar with the situation.
From Salon
As they read out their statements, what stood out first was the conspicuous display of mutual respect.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
