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.
The most conspicuous feature of the SEPs in recent years is how wrong they’ve been.
So many American military trainers are on the ground they have become conspicuous, jokingly called “English teachers,” though their presence remains a sensitive subject.
Fifth Street wasn’t nearly as busy as it had been in the morning, which oddly made me feel even more conspicuous on the sidewalk.
From Literature
It’s their money, and too many Angelenos do love conspicuous consumption.
From Los Angeles Times
Yet the most important summer arrival may well have been the least conspicuous.
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.
