Blatantly

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈbleɪtəntli/

Definitions

1. In a manner that is obviously and without any attempt at concealment or apology
2. In a way that is unambiguously apparent and shows no intention of hiding the truth or taking responsibility
3. Done in a way that is strikingly clear and leaves no doubt about the intent

Etymology: Blatant once meant "bleating," and it was coined as a poetic word, not a neutral adjective. The sixteenth-century English poet Edmund Spenser invented it in "The Faerie Queene" (1590-1596) as a name for the Blatant Beast, a monster with a clamorous tongue that barks and slanders. The root is the imitative verb "blatter," meaning to bleat or babble, and the word's sense of loudness and open shamelessness came from that noisy monster. Over time the adjective shifted from describing sound to describing conduct. "Blatant" came to mean "loudly obtrusive" and then "glaringly obvious," so that a blatant lie is one told without any attempt at concealment. The adverb "blatantly" is simply that adjective with the suffix "-ly" attached, the regular way English turns an adjective into an adverb of manner, and it carries the same sense of being impossible to miss.

Synonyms: obviously, flagrantly, overtly, conspicuously, evidently

Antonyms: subtly, discreetly, inconspicuously, covertly, secretively