conspicuous

adjective

kən-ˈspi-kyə-wəs How to pronounce conspicuous (audio)
Definition of conspicuousnext
1
as in noticeable
likely to attract attention the seven-foot-tall basketball player is conspicuous in any crowd

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obvious
very noticeable especially for being incorrect or bad conspicuous bureaucratic waste that drives taxpayers crazy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective conspicuous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of conspicuous are noticeable, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, salient, and striking. While all these words mean "attracting notice or attention," conspicuous applies to something that is obvious and unavoidable to the sight or mind.

conspicuous bureaucratic waste

In what contexts can noticeable take the place of conspicuous?

The meanings of noticeable and conspicuous largely overlap; however, noticeable applies to something unlikely to escape observation.

a piano recital with no noticeable errors

When can outstanding be used instead of conspicuous?

Although the words outstanding and conspicuous have much in common, outstanding applies to something that rises above and excels others of the same kind.

honored for her outstanding contributions to science

Where would prominent be a reasonable alternative to conspicuous?

The words prominent and conspicuous can be used in similar contexts, but prominent applies to something commanding notice by standing out from its surroundings or background.

a doctor who occupies a prominent position in the town

When would remarkable be a good substitute for conspicuous?

While in some cases nearly identical to conspicuous, remarkable applies to something so extraordinary or exceptional as to invite comment.

a film of remarkable intelligence and wit

When might salient be a better fit than conspicuous?

While the synonyms salient and conspicuous are close in meaning, salient applies to something of significance that merits the attention given it.

the salient points of the speech

When is striking a more appropriate choice than conspicuous?

The synonyms striking and conspicuous are sometimes interchangeable, but striking applies to something that impresses itself powerfully and deeply upon the observer's mind or vision.

the region's striking poverty

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of conspicuous Assessing all the information the movie gives us again, a conspicuous absence is any reference to the autistic spectrum. — David Katz, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2025 Crowded into the Capitol rotunda, alongside senators, Supreme Court justices and former presidents were a conspicuous handful of foreign leaders. — Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2025 Costs have been driven in part by levies to prevent and insure against wildfires, but the analysts anticipate a less conspicuous source of pressure on power bills going forward: growing electricity demand from data centers. — Calmatters, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025 If Hochul does fire Adams, Cuomo — who’s kept a careful distance from Adams and a conspicuous silence about his problems — would almost surely enter the mayor’s race as its frontrunner instead of running against Hochul next year to win back his old job. — Harry Siegel, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for conspicuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conspicuous
  1. noticeable
  2. obvious
  3. prominent
  4. blatant
  5. commanding
  6. glaring
  7. remarkable
  8. dramatic
Adjective
  • Use the dome light and flashers to make your vehicle more noticeable.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacramento Bee, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Meanwhile, ad commitments to streaming video hubs rose a noticeable 35.3%, hiking to $11.1 billion from $8.2 billion in the previous market.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of noticeable
Adjective
  • Porsha’s very obvious absence.m As the party moves outside for the big surprise, Shamea gets the ultimate birthday flex—a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
    — Shelby Stewart, Essence, 18 Mar. 2025
  • The impetus behind the spending boost—hundreds of billions of dollars in two separate packages—is obvious.
    — David Axe, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of obvious
Adjective
  • As a growing number of prominent 2021 campaign supporters have defected to rally behind Cuomo, Adams isn’t ruling out running as an independent in November’s general mayoral election in addition to the Democratic primary.
    — Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2025
  • As Ukraine’s artillery production likely now outpaces its losses, combined with its domestic shell production, artillery should return to playing a very prominent role in the conflict.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of prominent
Adjective
  • The blatant stupidity of what is being done by our country‘s executive leadership is staggering.
    — Lisa P. Rimland, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Culturally, the combination of blatant racist fear mongering and the anti-woke movement has delivered their message for the future.
    — Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of blatant
Adjective
  • Despite entering the final round four shots back, McIlroy held a commanding three-shot lead on the back nine.
    — Mark Davis, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
  • On Sunday, the Israeli commanding officers visited and assessed the buffer zone.
    — arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of commanding
Adjective
  • Kentucky’s other glaring issue is interrupting the passing lanes.
    — The Athletic, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Perhaps the most glaring example of that was Ed, who was very into the 1990s swing craze and dressed in a way that reflected that.
    — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Definition of glaring
Adjective
  • Which is all the more remarkable considering five years ago, the pandemic brought education in the U.S. to a grinding halt and, in many places, achievement still hasn't rebounded.
    — Cory Turner, NPR, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Medium-full, this has an effortless entry on the palate, beautiful complexity and very good, but not too high a level of acidity; there is excellent persistence and a remarkable elegant finish.
    — Tom Hyland, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of remarkable
Adjective
  • Given Trump’s order, the release of all this information sounded dramatic, but much of what has been revealed is about as interesting as that driver’s-license detail.
    — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Former Reba co-stars Melissa Peterman (as Gabby, the needy and dramatic bartender) and Reba McEntire already have proven chemistry, and any scene between the two is a lightning rod for plenty of chuckles.
    — Marc Berman, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Definition of dramatic

Browse Nearby Words

conspectuses
conspicuous
conspicuous consumption
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Cite this Entry

“Conspicuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conspicuous. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

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