From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishobviousob‧vi‧ous /ˈɒbviəs $ ˈɑːb-/ ●●● S2 W2 AWL adjective 1 OBVIOUSeasy to notice or understand The obvious way of reducing pollution is to use cars less.it is obvious (that) It was obvious that Gina was lying.obvious to It might be obvious to you, but it isn’t to me.2 behaving in a way that shows you want something very badly, when other people think this behaviour is not suitable I know you really like him, but you don’t have to be so obvious about it.3 → the/an obvious choice4 → the obvious thing (to do)5 → state the obvious —obviousness noun [uncountable]COLLOCATIONSverbsseem/appear obviousIt seems obvious to me that he is guilty.sound obviousThis may sound obvious, but don’t forget to put your name on your paper.become obviousIt soon became obvious that the boy was not really interested.nounsan obvious reasonThe plan, for obvious reasons, was being kept secret.an obvious example This case is an obvious example of what can go wrong. an obvious questionThe obvious question is: why?the obvious answerThere is no obvious answer to their problem.adverbsglaringly/blindingly obvious (=extremely obvious)The cause of her problems is glaringly obvious.transparently/patently/blatantly obvious (=clearly obvious)His interest in her was blatantly obvious.painfully obvious (=very obvious, and embarrassing or upsetting)It became painfully obvious that she and Edward had nothing in common.immediately obviousThe cause of the pain was not immediately obvious.fairly/quite obvious (also pretty obvious spoken)There are some fairly obvious signs of a poor diet. THESAURUSobvious something that is obvious is very easy to notice or understand – used especially when you are surprised that other people cannot notice itThere is an obvious connection between the two murders.It was obvious that something was wrong.clear easy to notice that something is true, so that you feel sure about it and have no doubtsIt was clear to me that my father was dying.There are clear signs of an economic recovery.noticeable very easy to notice, especially because you can see, hear, smell, or feel somethingSteroid drugs cause a noticeable change in someone’s behaviour.Road noise tends to be more noticeable in certain weather conditions.conspicuous very easy to notice, because of being different from things around thema conspicuous white spot on the bird’s wingsShe tried to make herself look less conspicuous.Don’t leave your valuables in a conspicuous place.unmistakable extremely obvious, so that you cannot possibly confuse something with something elsethe unmistakable sound of gunfireThe flower’s scent is unmistakable. self-evident formal facts, ideas etc that are self-evident are obvious and true, although some people may not accept them or know about themThe facts in this case are self-evident and cannot be denied.We hold these truths to be self-evident (=we believe that they are obvious and true – from the American Declaration of Independence).blatant use this about something that someone does which is clearly bad, but which they do not seem to be ashamed ofa blatant lieThe bill is a blatant attempt to limit our right to free speech. can tell to know that something must be true because you can see signs that show thisEven though it was dark, she could tell it was him.How can you tell if you’ve broken your arm?
Examples from the Corpus
obvious• The benefits of truth-telling are obvious.• She tried to look grateful, but her disappointment was obvious.• There is an obvious connection between the two murders.• It was obvious from the start that my parents disliked Nancy.• But the instability of the political structures and other weaknesses were obvious in the struggles between the factions within the party.• They expressed their surprise since they, like the doctors who treated them, associated obvious injury with obvious pain.• "Why is she leaving?" "Well, it's obvious, isn't it?"• an obvious mistake• The solution is also obvious - please check envelopes are not too tightly packed, if in doubt use a bigger envelope!• There are obvious problems for the stability of the state if these different groups are in conflict with each other.• There was no obvious reason for their behavior.• For obvious reasons, we've had to cancel tonight's performance.• It's obvious that Paul is in love with Liz.• It's obvious that something is wrong.• From the moment they joined the others outside the shop, it was obvious that the twins were sulking.• It should be obvious to everyone that we need to make some changes.it is obvious (that)• The fish-feeders' dependence on it is obvious.• In a sense it is obvious - most people have an intuitive idea of what complexity means.• If we have only rapid successions of frenetic emotive surges, it is obvious that a short piece will result.• Yet it is obvious that an election is the last thing the current leaders want.• From his later writings it is obvious that he was quite fascinated by the entire operation and its execution.• While man thinks he is already awake it is obvious that the much-needed awakening which Esotericism requires will never be forthcoming.• From watching raindrops, bubbles and insects walking on ponds it is obvious that water and other liquids have a surface tension.• But it is obvious when this will occur.Origin obvious (1500-1600) Latin obvius, from obviam; → OBVIATE 