conspicuous

adjective

con·spic·u·ous kən-ˈspi-kyə-wəs

-kyü-əs

Synonyms of conspicuous next

: obvious to the eye or mind

conspicuous changes

The bird has a conspicuous red head.

: attracting attention : striking

a conspicuous success

His absence was conspicuous.

: marked by a noticeable violation of good taste

conspicuously adverb

conspicuousness

kən-ˈspi-kyə-wəs-nəs

-kyü-əs-

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for conspicuous

noticeable, remarkable, prominent, outstanding, conspicuous, salient, striking mean attracting notice or attention.

noticeable applies to something unlikely to escape observation.

a piano recital with no noticeable errors

remarkable applies to something so extraordinary or exceptional as to invite comment.

a film of remarkable intelligence and wit

prominent applies to something commanding notice by standing out from its surroundings or background.

a doctor who occupies a prominent position in the town

outstanding applies to something that rises above and excels others of the same kind.

honored for her outstanding contributions to science

conspicuous applies to something that is obvious and unavoidable to the sight or mind.

conspicuous bureaucratic waste

salient applies to something of significance that merits the attention given it.

the salient points of the speech

striking applies to something that impresses itself powerfully and deeply upon the observer's mind or vision.

the region's striking poverty

Examples of conspicuous in a Sentence

Conspicuous species of large organisms with small populations are vulnerable—and several fishes and marine mammals, including Steller's sea cow, have succumbed. —

Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, June 1991

Its most conspicuous feature was knee breeches, which showed off his well-turned legs and feet. —

Richard Ellmann, Oscar Wilde, 1984

There were a number of conspicuous changes to the building. The sign was placed in a very conspicuous spot. The bird has a conspicuous red head. She felt very conspicuous in her pink coat. He was uncomfortable about his conspicuous weight gain. The business was a conspicuous success.

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

The movie’s true set pieces are the professorial villain’s ostentatious monologues using fast food, musical plagiarism, and Monopoly as metaphors to point out how modern religions are just conspicuous iterations of what’s come before. —

Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024 The most conspicuous objects on the seabed were porcelain and thousands of rattan canes, intended for use as walking sticks or in furniture-making. —

Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024 As the 2024 Ballon d’Or winners are announced on Monday, the winner of the men’s award in 2023, Lionel Messi, was conspicuous by his absence. —

James Nalton, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 At the other end of the spectrum, social media also allows users to identify with tragedy in real time, in a conspicuous and rather absurd way, by inserting themselves into other people’s tragedies. —

Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for conspicuous