Definition of OBVIOUS

Choose the Right Synonym for obvious

evident, manifest, patent, distinct, obvious, apparent, plain, clear mean readily perceived or apprehended. evident implies presence of visible signs that lead one to a definite conclusion. an evident fondness for sweets manifest implies an external display so evident that little or no inference is required. manifest hostility patent applies to a cause, effect, or significant feature that is clear and unmistakable once attention has been directed to it. patent defects distinct implies such sharpness of outline or definition that no unusual effort to see or hear or comprehend is required. a distinct refusal obvious implies such ease in discovering that it often suggests conspicuousness or little need for perspicacity in the observer. the obvious solution apparent is very close to evident except that it may imply more conscious exercise of inference. for no apparent reason plain suggests lack of intricacy, complexity, or elaboration. her feelings about him are plain clear implies an absence of anything that confuses the mind or obscures the pattern. a clear explanation

Examples of obvious in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Hotel Alessandra With a chic aesthetic and buzzy atmosphere, the glassy Hotel Alessandra is an obvious choice for travelers who like to explore whatever's new and exciting in any given town. — Diana Oates, Condé Nast Traveler, "10 Best Hotels in Houston," 9 Oct. 2018 Two forces are acting as a pincer, making the decision more and more obvious. — David Roberts, Vox, "We could shift to sustainability and save $26 trillion. Why are aren’t we doing it?," 6 Sep. 2018 Bitcoin, however, is not necessarily the most obvious choice for those looking to conceal their transactions. — Gregory Barber, WIRED, "Someone Found a Use for Bitcoin. Russian Hackers!," 13 July 2018 While there’s no official word on which character Affleck will play, the most obvious choice from Didion’s novel may be the role of Treat Morrison, a high-level government official who becomes romantically entangled with Hathaway’s character. — BostonGlobe.com, "Ben Affleck joins Anne Hathaway and Willem Dafoe in Netflix political thriller," 10 July 2018 Companies gravitate towards dealing with the obvious risks from large suppliers or known areas and underestimate the risk from others. — Molly Jackson, The Christian Science Monitor, "In a US-China trade war, big losers include ... BMW? Taiwan?," 12 July 2018 Looking back at the judges' guesses around the three Masked Singer finalists — the Monster, the Peacock, and the Bee — the answer becomes pretty obvious. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Who Is 'The Masked Singer' Winner? A Gigantic Clue Basically Revealed the Answer," 21 Feb. 2019 In this case, Gigi’s belly button was just hidden underneath a tight camisole in the exact shade of her skin, which became obvious after the model turned around, revealing creases in the fabric. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Photo of Gigi Hadid's "Missing" Belly Button Is a Total Optical Illusion," 13 Jan. 2019 The losing mentality that infects the clubhouse has recently become obvious by a series of fundamental lapses and defensive breakdowns that almost never showed up during the first five years of the Dan Duquette-Buck Showalter competitive revival. — Peter Schmuck, baltimoresun.com, "Schmuck: During season on the brink, Orioles are losing the head games, too," 14 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'obvious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.