adjective
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easy to see or understand; evident
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exhibiting motives, feelings, intentions, etc, clearly or without subtlety
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naive or unsubtle
the play was rather obvious
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obsolete being or standing in the way
Synonym Usage
See apparent.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of obvious
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin obvius “in the way, lying in the path,” equivalent to ob- ob- ( def. ) + vi(a) way 1 ( def. ) + -us, adjective suffix ( see -ous ( def. ))
Explanation
Something obvious is plain to see and easily understandable. It was obvious that you didn't enjoy your meal because I found it rolled in a napkin and shoved under the rug. There's nothing vague about the adjective obvious — it's right there in front of your eyes! It describes something that's easy to figure out or the most straightforward option. If someone states the obvious, you're likely to respond with a sarcastic "No duh!" or "Thanks Sherlock." If obvious isn't the obvious word of choice, you can try a synonym such as "evident" or "apparent."
Vocabulary lists containing obvious
Now I See! Synonyms for "Clear"
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Latin Love, Vol I: via
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Schoenbrun has an obvious familiarity with the horror canon, and I would guess owns a dog-eared copy of “Men, Women, and Chainsaws,” Carol J. Clover’s classic book on the genre.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
If Salah was determined to stay in Europe, Trabzonspor might not have been the obvious choice.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
“Some stuff like ‘Basket Case’ would be kind of obvious, but I was really surprised at how well the deep cuts came in,” Armstrong said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
These are hard questions with no obvious answers.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
His obvious affection for the animals was what touched us: as they went along he constantly muttered and fussed at them.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
