obvious
O-veers
Obvious (adj) means Easy to see or understand; not needing explanation. Example: “It was obvious she hadn't slept in days.”
adj
1
Easy to see or understand; not needing explanation.
"It was obvious she hadn't slept in days."
"The solution seems obvious in hindsight."
"The answer was so obvious that even the youngest child got it."
How to use obvious
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishClear and easy to notice or understand.
Common pairings
obvious reason
blindingly obvious
the obvious choice
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like obvious.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Comparative
- more obvious
- Superlative
- most obvious
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
It was _____ she hadn't slept in days.
Etymology
From Latin obvius, "in the way, easy to meet", from ob- ("towards") plus via ("road, way") — something literally "in your path" is easy to spot.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for obvious
See all rhymes for obvious →Frequently asked questions
What does “obvious” mean?
The word “obvious” means easy to see or understand; not needing explanation. In plain terms, clear and easy to notice or understand.
How do you pronounce “obvious”?
“Obvious” is pronounced O-veers (/ˈɑb.vi.əs/ in IPA).
How do you use “obvious” in a sentence?
Here is “obvious” used in a sentence: “It was obvious she hadn't slept in days.”
What is the opposite of “obvious”?
The opposite of “obvious” — its antonyms — are clear as mud, inconspicuous, inevident, nonevident and muddied.
What part of speech is “obvious”?
“Obvious” is an adjective.
Where does the word “obvious” come from?
The word “obvious” comes from Latin. From Latin obvius, "in the way, easy to meet", from ob- ("towards") plus via ("road, way") — something literally "in your path" is easy to spot.
Is “obvious” a common word?
“Obvious” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between obvious and evident?
Both mean easy to notice, but with a slight difference. Obvious means immediately clear, needing no thought at all. Evident suggests something is clear once you look at the signs or evidence. An obvious mistake jumps out at once, while an evident improvement becomes clear from what you can observe.
What is the opposite of obvious?
Common opposites are subtle, hidden, and unclear. Something subtle is present but easy to miss, while something obscure or hidden is deliberately hard to see. Where obvious means needing no explanation, its opposites such as puzzling, cryptic, or ambiguous describe things that do require thought to understand.
Is obvious a negative word?
Usually it is neutral, simply meaning something is easy to see. It can turn mildly negative in phrases like 'stating the obvious' or 'too obvious', which suggest something is unoriginal, clumsy, or lacking subtlety. Tone and context decide whether obvious is a plain observation or a gentle criticism.
What is an example of something obvious?
If someone walks in soaked, it is obvious that it is raining, and no explanation is needed. A spelling mistake in a large headline is obvious because it is easy to spot. The word fits anything so clear that almost anyone would notice or understand it at once.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include obvious:
