conspicuous

adjective

con·​spic·​u·​ous kən-ˈspi-kyə-wəs 

-kyü-əs

1

: obvious to the eye or mind

conspicuous changes

The bird has a conspicuous red head.

2

: attracting attention : striking

a conspicuous success

His absence was conspicuous.

3

: marked by a noticeable violation of good taste

conspicuously adverb

conspicuousness

kən-ˈspi-kyə-wəs-nəs 

-kyü-əs-

noun

Synonyms

• arresting
• bodacious
• bold
• brilliant
• catchy
• commanding
• dramatic
• emphatic
• eye-catching
• flamboyant
• grabby
• kenspeckle [chiefly Scottish]
• marked
• noisy
• noticeable
• prominent
• pronounced
• remarkable
• showy
• splashy
• striking

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

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

The departure of 2024 All-Star Jurickson Profar left the team with a conspicuous hole at the other corner-outfield spot. —Dennis Lin, The Athletic, 8 Feb. 2025

That is the Duchess of Sussex, who has been a regular at past games and would be a conspicuous absence. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin conspicuus, from conspicere to get sight of, from com- + specere to look — more at spy

First Known Use

circa 1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing conspicuous

• conspicuous by their absence
• conspicuous consumption

Kids Definition

conspicuous

adjective

con·​spic·​u·​ous kən-ˈspik-yə-wəs 

1

: easily seen

2

: attracting attention : striking

conspicuously adverb

conspicuousness noun