Conspicuous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /kənˈspɪk.ju.əs/

Definitions

1. Easily seen or noticed; standing out clearly from surroundings; attracting attention by being obvious or prominent
2. Striking the eye immediately through obvious prominence or visibility
3. Standing out noticeably from one's surroundings in a way that draws immediate attention

Etymology: Latin "conspicuus" meant "visible" or "striking," and it was built from "cōnspicere," "to notice," which joined "con-" ("with, together") to "specere," "to look at." So the word began as a plain statement about sight: something that could be looked at intently, or caught the eye. Its root "specere" is the same one that gives English "spectacle," "inspect," and "suspicious," all of them carrying the idea of looking closely. The Latin verb "conspicere" was originally a word for a sharp, focused gaze, and "conspicuus" kept that sense of something drawing attention. English took the adjective over with that same meaning, so a conspicuous thing is one that is hard to overlook. Over time the word's core idea of being seen has held steady, though it now often carries a note of disapproval, as in "conspicuous consumption" or a person trying too hard not to blend in.

Synonyms: obvious, noticeable, evident, prominent, clear

Antonyms: inconspicuous, hidden, subtle, unnoticeable