blatantly
Americanadverb
-
in a shameless or conspicuous way; flagrantly.
While many of those workers are joining unions, many others are being blatantly ripped off.
-
in a way that is tastelessly loud, garish, or obvious.
She dyes her hair blond, but leaves her dark brown roots blatantly visible.
Etymology
Origin of blatantly
Explanation
When you do something blatantly, you do it obviously, without trying to hide it. You might blatantly lie to your boss if you don't care about getting in trouble. Something done or said blatantly is bold and shameless. You might be doing something bad, but if you're doing it blatantly you're not worried about repercussions. In 1596, the poet Edmund Spenser invented the word blatant, using it to describe a slanderous beast. In the 1600s blatantly meant offensively loud, and by the late 1800s it had its current meaning of "conspicuously, obviously." A similar word is flagrantly, but you'd use it to mean "shockingly," while blatantly is closer to "obnoxiously."
Vocabulary lists containing blatantly
The Crucible
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The Wishing Spell
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Wit, Wisdom, AND Vocabulary from Those We Lost in 2015
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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.
District Court Judge Waverly Crenshaw’s May decision to dismiss an indictment against Abrego Garcia after he found it was a blatantly tainted investigation “with a vindictive motive.”
From Slate ● Aug. 23, 2026
Video assistant referees should only be used to change "blatantly incorrect" decisions and clear missed incidents, say European refereeing officials.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Rival athletic directors and coaches couldn’t fathom how someone who had so blatantly broken a universal rule would be allowed to escape with a slap on the wrist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
"Unfortunately, this right is often violated — sometimes blatantly, sometimes in more subtle ways," he said.
From Barron's ● May 3, 2026
I can’t tell if he’s trying to give the appearance of patience and failing miserably or is blatantly trying to make me leave.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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.
