obvious

ob·vi·ous

adjective \ˈäb-vē-əs\

Definition of OBVIOUS

1

archaic : being in the way or in front

2

: easily discovered, seen, or understood

— ob·vi·ous·ness noun

Examples of OBVIOUS

1. Her doctor immediately noticed the obvious signs of the disease.
2. She saw only the most obvious differences.
3. It was obvious that things weren't working out.
4. The answer seems obvious enough to me.
5. The problem was immediately obvious to everyone in the room.
6. He was the obvious candidate for president.
7. The obvious question is: how did he become so successful?
8. For obvious reasons, I would not like to reveal my name.

Origin of OBVIOUS

Latin obvius, from obviam in the way, from ob in the way of + viam, accusative of via way — more at ob-, via

First Known Use: 1603

Related to OBVIOUS

Synonyms

apparent, bald, bald-faced, barefaced, bright-line, broad, clear-cut, crystal clear, decided, distinct, evident, lucid, luculent, luminous, manifest, nonambiguous, clear, open-and-shut, palpable, patent, pellucid, perspicuous, plain, ringing, straightforward, transparent, unambiguous, unambivalent, unequivocal, unmistakable

Antonyms

ambiguous, clouded, cryptic, dark, enigmatic (also enigmatical), equivocal, indistinct, mysterious, nonobvious, obfuscated, obscure, unapparent, unclarified, unclear, unclouded

Related Words

cognizable, cognoscible, comprehendible, comprehensible, digestible, fathomable, graspable, intelligible, knowable, understandable; self-evident, self-explanatory; clean-cut, simple, tidy, uncomplicated; overt, undisguised; appreciable, perceptible, recognizable, sensible, tangible; discernible (also discernable), noticeable, observable, visible; black-and-white, explicit, trenchant, well-defined; clean, decipherable, fair, legible, readable

Near Antonyms

incomprehensible, indecipherable, unfathomable, unintelligible, unknowable; impalpable, imperceptible, inappreciable, indiscernible, insensible; cloudy, gauzy, gray (also grey), hazy, imprecise, indefinite, indeterminate, misty, murky, nebulous, noncommital, sketchy, slippery, subtle, vague; illegible, undecipherable, unreadable

See Synonym Discussion at evident