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

Relevance

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 An intentionally broad category, the genre encompasses and moves between subgenres which are united by their conspicuous lack of realism. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 10 Sep. 2025 Elon Musk was conspicuous by his absence. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025 Instead of directly addressing the naysayers, Rutledge acknowledged taking a less conspicuous approach. —Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025 Life expectancy disparities between blue and red states are conspicuous. —Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 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
  • When compared with the DeathAdder V4 Pro, the difference is slight but noticeable.
    — PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The New Shape of the Curve Year-to-date production growth for 2025 marks a noticeable deceleration compared to the peak shale boom years, when annual growth often ran in the double digits.
    — Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of noticeable
Adjective
  • And a soft implant can be the best option to avoid an obvious edge.
    — Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • That’s because your liver won’t give you obvious clues that say there’s a MASH up going there.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Definition of obvious
Adjective
  • The inquiry also scrutinized prominent Trump allies, including Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, and Stephen Miller, along with dozens of consultants and political action committees tied to the former president’s orbit.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Almost a week after one of America’s most prominent conservative activists was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University, a 22-year-old man accused of executing the attack with his grandfather’s rifle appeared in court Tuesday to face state charges.
    — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Definition of prominent
Adjective
  • Other derision of Lilith Fair artists was more blatant.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
  • But Moss was blatant — quite blatant — about owning a bad day, and went about his offseason with a purpose.
    — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of blatant
Adjective
  • Andersen, who previously worked for the San Antonio Police Department, has ruddy cheeks and a commanding presence.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Irvine ran the ball, passed the ball and slowed down Laguna Hills’ uptempo offense with a commanding defensive display.
    — Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of commanding
Adjective
  • This education gap in preparing employees to use AI and other new technologies effectively is a glaring, industry-wide need.
    — Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The Los Angeles Lakers have dedicated their offseason to addressing some of the glaring deficiencies that cut last season's playoff run short and locking down superstar Luka Doncic long term.
    — Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of glaring
Adjective
  • Join us in celebrating the remarkable life and enduring legacy of Charlie Kirk, an American legend.
    — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
  • After exiting Real Madrid in 2021 — spending a remarkable 16 years with the Spanish club — Sergio Ramos spent the next two years hunkered down writing and producing music.
    — Griselda Flores, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2025
Definition of remarkable
Adjective
  • The most dramatic of these are the annual benchmark revisions, which align the monthly survey data with the more comprehensive Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), a near-complete count of jobs derived from unemployment insurance tax records.
    — Jeff Gapusan, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Advertisement But when Episode 10 ended with Conrad boarding a plane to Paris in pursuit of Belly, fans began gearing up for a dramatic—and possibly heartbreaking—finale.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
Definition of dramatic

Browse Nearby Words

conspectuses
conspicuous
conspicuous consumption
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Conspicuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conspicuous. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on conspicuous

Nglish: Translation of conspicuous for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Putting Adjectives in the Right Order

A Guide to Using Semicolons
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 3

Color Words to Describe Autumn Leaves

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You
See More

Popular

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 3

Color Words to Describe Autumn Leaves
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
vector image of a face with thought expression
Commonly Confused Words Quiz Take a (break/brake) and (pore/pour) over this (c...
See All