OBVIOUS Synonyms: 168 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'obvious' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of obvious are apparent , clear , distinct , evident , manifest , patent , and plain . While all these words mean "readily perceived or apprehended," obvious implies such ease in discovering that it often suggests conspicuousness or little need for perspicacity in the observer. // the obvious solution

Q: How do 'apparent' and 'evident' relate to one another, in the sense of 'obvious'?

Apparent is very close to evident except that it may imply more conscious exercise of inference. // for no apparent reason

Q: When is 'clear' a more appropriate choice than 'obvious'?

The synonyms clear and obvious are sometimes interchangeable, but clear implies an absence of anything that confuses the mind or obscures the pattern. // a clear explanation

Q: In what contexts can 'distinct' take the place of 'obvious'?

While in some cases nearly identical to obvious , distinct implies such sharpness of outline or definition that no unusual effort to see or hear or comprehend is required. // a distinct refusal

Q: When is it sensible to use 'evident' instead of 'obvious'?

Although the words evident and obvious have much in common, evident implies presence of visible signs that lead one to a definite conclusion. // an evident fondness for sweets

Q: When might 'manifest' be a better fit than 'obvious'?

The words manifest and obvious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, manifest implies an external display so evident that little or no inference is required. // manifest hostility

Q: When would 'patent' be a good substitute for 'obvious'?

While the synonyms patent and obvious are close in meaning, patent applies to a cause, effect, or significant feature that is clear and unmistakable once attention has been directed to it. // patent defects

Q: When could 'plain' be used to replace 'obvious'?

In some situations, the words plain and obvious are roughly equivalent. However, plain suggests lack of intricacy, complexity, or elaboration. // her feelings about him are plain

obvious

adjective

ˈäb-vē-əs

Definition of obvious

as in apparent

not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation that remark was an obvious joke, so lighten up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in blatant

very noticeable especially for being incorrect or bad obvious errors in the book that the editor or proofreader should have caught

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective obvious contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of obvious are apparent, clear, distinct, evident, manifest, patent, and plain. While all these words mean "readily perceived or apprehended," obvious implies such ease in discovering that it often suggests conspicuousness or little need for perspicacity in the observer.

the obvious solution

How do apparent and evident relate to one another, in the sense of obvious?

Apparent is very close to evident except that it may imply more conscious exercise of inference.

for no apparent reason

When is clear a more appropriate choice than obvious?

The synonyms clear and obvious are sometimes interchangeable, but clear implies an absence of anything that confuses the mind or obscures the pattern.

a clear explanation

In what contexts can distinct take the place of obvious?

While in some cases nearly identical to obvious, distinct implies such sharpness of outline or definition that no unusual effort to see or hear or comprehend is required.

a distinct refusal

When is it sensible to use evident instead of obvious?

Although the words evident and obvious have much in common, evident implies presence of visible signs that lead one to a definite conclusion.

an evident fondness for sweets

When might manifest be a better fit than obvious?

The words manifest and obvious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, manifest implies an external display so evident that little or no inference is required.

manifest hostility

When would patent be a good substitute for obvious?

While the synonyms patent and obvious are close in meaning, patent applies to a cause, effect, or significant feature that is clear and unmistakable once attention has been directed to it.

patent defects

When could plain be used to replace obvious?

In some situations, the words plain and obvious are roughly equivalent. However, plain suggests lack of intricacy, complexity, or elaboration.

her feelings about him are plain

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of obvious The Yankees don’t have any obvious options who could step into the closer’s role if Bednar lands elsewhere. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026 There are, of course, obvious differences between soldiers and agents, for whom a readiness to kill on behalf of the state is generally understood to be a more distant prospect. — Francisco Cantú, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026 When assessing the probability of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, analysts tend to focus on a few obvious risks that China would face—namely, military defeat, economic slowdown, and restricted oil and technology imports. — Joel Wuthnow, Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2026 The interior was redesigned in Kevlar and suede, the most obvious changes being a new steering wheel and dashboard that clustered more of the gauges and controls around the driver. — Stephen Edelstein, The Drive, 1 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for obvious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obvious

Adjective

Her campaign denies any involvement in the apparent Sullivan scheme, but the New York Times story and prior reporting could be used to call into question her fitness to serve.

— David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2026
But Miami coach Mario Cristobal is not taking the Tar Heels’ defense lightly, even though UM has the apparent advantage.

— Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of apparent

Adjective

Catching sight of real-estate agents in listing photos long felt like blatant sloppiness or, less often, a bizarre Easter egg.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 29 Oct. 2026
This blatant robbery is the pending bill to ban the 68 Central Park horse carriages.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of blatant

Adjective

Still, the United States must ensure that allies’ security programs are comparable to its own and that any glaring gaps are filled as swiftly as possible.

— Sam Mullins, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2026
That’s no way to run a city, especially when a glaring safety problem is staring us in the face.

— Frank Morano, New York Daily News, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of glaring

Adjective

The subtle, but unmistakable, undercurrent of apple sweetness struck me as a bit of a magic trick in a bread that, otherwise, to the eye and hand was just a soft white loaf.

— Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026
The vamp features an unmistakable signature of the Italian house, a horsebit.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of unmistakable

Adjective

Ideas can be measured through semantic distance, which is a way of quantifying how distinct individual concepts are.

— Roger Beaty, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026
Netflix logged 21 positions spread over 18 series, the broadest range of distinct titles of the platforms the report examined.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of distinct

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Style

“Obvious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obvious. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of obvious

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