Definition of obvious
- It was obvious that things weren't working out.
- She stayed for obvious reasons.
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.
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.
First Known Use: 1583
in the meaning defined at sense 2
See Words from the same yearapparent, bald, bald-faced, barefaced, broad, clear, clear-cut, crystal clear, decided, distinct, evident, lucid, luminous, manifest, nonambiguous, open-and-shut, palpable, patent, pellucid, perspicuous, plain, straightforward, transparent, unambiguous, unambivalent, unequivocal, unmistakable;
ambiguous, clouded, cryptic, dark, enigmatic (also enigmatical), equivocal, indistinct, mysterious, nonobvious, obfuscated, obscure, unapparent, unclarified, unclear, unclouded;
incomprehensible, indecipherable, unfathomable, unintelligible, unknowable;
impalpable, imperceptible, inappreciable, indiscernible, insensible;
cloudy, gauzy, gray (also grey), hazy, imprecise, indefinite, indeterminate, misty, murky, nebulous, noncommittal, sketchy, slippery, subtle, vague;
comprehendible, comprehensible, digestible, fathomable, graspable, intelligible, knowable, understandable;
self-evident, self-explanatory;
clean-cut, simple, tidy, uncomplicated;
appreciable, perceptible, recognizable, sensible, tangible;
discernible (also discernable), noticeable, observable, visible;
black-and-white, explicit, trenchant, well-defined;
clean, decipherable, fair, legible, readable;
: easy to see or notice
: easy for the mind to understand or recognize
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for obvious Spanish Central: Translation of obvious Nglish: Translation of obvious for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of obvious for Arabic speakers
What made you want to look up obvious? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZTest Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ