obviousob‧vi‧ous /ˈɒbviəs $ ˈɑːb-/ ●●● S2 W2 AWL adjective 
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.2behaving 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.3the/an obvious choice the person or thing that you would expect everyone to choose: Teaching is an obvious choice of career if you like working with children.4the obvious thing (to do) what clearly seems the best thing to do: The obvious thing is to speak to her before you make a decision.5state the obvious to say something that is already obvious so it is not necessary to say it: It is stating the obvious, but regular measurement of blood pressure is essential in older people.—obviousness noun [uncountable]COLLOCATIONSverbsseem/appear obvious· It seems obvious to me that he is guilty.sound obvious· This may sound obvious, but don’t forget to put your name on your paper.become obvious· It soon became obvious that the boy was not really interested.nounsan obvious reason· The plan, for obvious reasons, was being kept secret.an obvious example· This case is an obvious example of what can go wrong.an obvious question· The obvious question is: why?the obvious answer· There 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 obvious· The 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 it: · There 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 doubts: · It 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 something: · Steroid 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 them: · a conspicuous white spot on the bird’s wings· She 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 else: · the unmistakable sound of gunfire· The 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 them: · The 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 of: · a blatant lie· The 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 this: · Even though it was dark, she could tell it was him.· How can you tell if you’ve broken your arm?
WORD ORIGINobvious
Origin:
1500-1600 Latin obvius, from obviam; ➔ OBVIATEEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "Why is she leaving?" "Well, it's obvious, isn't it?"
- an obvious mistake
- 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.
- It should be obvious to everyone that we need to make some changes.
- It was obvious from the start that my parents disliked Nancy.
- She tried to look grateful, but her disappointment was obvious.
- There is an obvious connection between the two murders.
- There was no obvious reason for their behavior.
- But the instability of the political structures and other weaknesses were obvious in the struggles between the factions within the party.
- From the moment they joined the others outside the shop, it was obvious that the twins were sulking.
- The benefits of truth-telling are obvious.
- 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.
- They expressed their surprise since they, like the doctors who treated them, associated obvious injury with obvious pain.
THESAURUS
something that is obvious is very easy to notice or understand – used especially when you are surprised that other people cannot notice it: · There is an obvious connection between the two murders.· It was obvious that something was wrong.
easy to notice that something is true, so that you feel sure about it and have no doubts: · It was clear to me that my father was dying.· There are clear signs of an economic recovery.
very easy to notice, especially because you can see, hear, smell, or feel something: · Steroid drugs cause a noticeable change in someone’s behaviour.· Road noise tends to be more noticeable in certain weather conditions.
very easy to notice, because of being different from things around them: · a conspicuous white spot on the bird’s wings· She tried to make herself look less conspicuous.· Don’t leave your valuables in a conspicuous place.
extremely obvious, so that you cannot possibly confuse something with something else: · the unmistakable sound of gunfire· The flower’s scent is unmistakable.
formal facts, ideas etc that are self-evident are obvious and true, although some people may not accept them or know about them: · The 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).
use this about something that someone does which is clearly bad, but which they do not seem to be ashamed of: · a blatant lie· The bill is a blatant attempt to limit our right to free speech.
to know that something must be true because you can see signs that show this: · Even though it was dark, she could tell it was him.· How can you tell if you’ve broken your arm?
Longman Language Activatorvery easy to notice or understand something that is obvious is very easy to notice or understand: · There is an obvious connection between the two murders.· "Why is she leaving?" "Well, it's obvious, isn't it?"it is obvious that: · It's obvious that something is wrong.· It was obvious from the start that my parents disliked Nancy.it is obvious to somebody: · It should be obvious to everyone that we need to make some changes.for obvious reasons (=when the reasons are so obvious that you do not need to say what they are): · For obvious reasons, we've had to cancel tonight's performance.
if it is clear that something is true, it is easy to notice that it is true and you feel sure about it and have no doubts: it is clear that: · It was clear that Lesley was very upset by what had happened.it is clear to somebody: · It was clear to me that my father was dying.it becomes clear: · It soon became clear that there were not enough police officers to deal with the situation.· It became clear after talking to him that Andrew wasn't going to cooperate.clear evidence/example/sign etc: · There is clear evidence that certain diets reduce your chances of getting cancer.· clear signs of an economic recovery
use this to emphasize that it is easy to see that something is true: · We're obviously going to need more help.· Clearly, the situation is more complicated than we first thought.· The children were clearly upset.· Obviously, this guy's a complete fraud.· The language of the article clearly reveals the author's bias.
to know that something must be true because you can see signs that show this: can tell (that): · I can tell that Mark isn't happy here.· Even though it was dark, she could tell it was him.can tell if: · I can't tell if this is dirty or not. Can you?can tell by: · I could tell by the way she walked that her knee was still bothering her.
if it is easy to see that something is true, it is very easy for anyone to notice or understand that fact: it is easy to see (that): · It's easy to see that he isn't well.· It was easy to see that Minna was embarrassed by her father's behaviour.it is easy to see how/why/what: · It's easy to see why this place is so popular.
a noticeable difference, change, improvement etc is easy to notice: noticeable change: · The most noticeable change was in my younger brother, who had grown quite a bit and was now a third-grader.noticeable improvement: · There has been a noticeable improvement in Jeremy's behaviour lately.barely/hardly/scarcely noticeable (=almost not noticeable): · Stop worrying about your pimples; they're barely noticeable.it is noticeable that: · It was quite noticeable that everyone had been invited except for Gail.
formal a perceptible difference, change, improvement etc can be noticed even though it is small: · The influence of Sartre is perceptible in Hogan's novel.perceptible change: · According to Reynolds, there has been a slight but perceptible change in public attitude lately.barely/scarcely/hardly perceptible (=almost not perceptible): · His lips curved in a barely perceptible smile.· When he asked if she wanted something to eat, she gave a barely perceptible nod.
a distinct or definite possibility, feeling, quality etc is noticeable and cannot be ignored: distinct/definite possibility: · A civil war is a distinct possibility.· Food shortages are so severe that mass starvation is a definite possibility.distinct advantage: · Trigg's height should give him a distinct advantage in his match against Robinson.distinct impression: · I had the distinct impression that Rachel was displeased.
obvious - used formally or in literature: · Even at the age of eight his musical talent was apparent.for no apparent reason (=without a clear reason): · Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, he turned his back and walked away.it is evident (from something) that: · From the look on Jill's face, it was evident that the news came as a complete shock.it became apparent/evident that: · It became evident that Lena wasn't going to be able to handle the project on her own.· After a few months, it became apparent that Vicky did not have a genuine interest in her job.
something or someone that is conspicuous is very easy to notice, because they are different from everything or everyone else around them: · Cuzco's few tourists are conspicuous as they explore the old cobbled streets.· Downtown business owners say they want the city's homeless shelter moved to a less conspicuous location.
extremely obvious and impossible not to notice: unmistakable sight/sound/smell etc · The secretary of state said the measures are designed to send the regime a clear and unmistakable signal.· the unmistakable sounds of mariachi music
informal so obvious that it is impossible not to notice: · The reason she stopped smoking is perfectly obvious: she's pregnant.· a blindingly obvious mistake
if you say that a fact speaks for itself , you mean it shows that something is so obviously good or obviously bad that you do not need to tell people how good or bad it is: · The quality of our products speaks for itself.· The fact that so many parents refuse to send their children to the school speaks for itself.
formal facts, ideas etc that are self-evident are obvious and true, although some people may not accept them or know about them: · The facts in this case are self-evident and cannot be denied.· self-evident truthsit is self-evident that: · It is self-evident to most people that the government is under no obligation to finance the arts.
British informal you say it sticks or stands out a mile when you think that someone's character, feelings, or background are obvious: · I'm absolutely sure he's a retired army officer. It sticks out a mile.· You can see he's desperately jealous. It stands out a mile.
you say it sticks or stands out like a sore thumb when something looks very different from everything around it: · I'm not going to the party dressed like this - I'd stick out like a sore thumb.
you say that you only have to look at something, read something etc when you think something is so obvious that anybody will notice it: · You only have to look at Turner's later oil paintings to see what a genius he was.· You just have to look at family photos from that time to see that there was a lot of sadness and bitterness over my parents' divorce.
if you say that a fact or feeling is written all over someone's face you mean that you can see, just by looking at the expression on their face, that it is true: · You're in love with him. It's written all over your face.· When Joey opened the package and saw that it wasn't a fire engine, the disappointment was written all over his face.
you say you can't miss it when you are giving someone directions to a place that is very easy to find or notice: · Their house is on the left. It has a pink door. You can't miss it.
if something such as a solution to a problem is staring you in the face , it is very obvious - use this especially when someone does not notice or realize something even though it is very obvious: · The solution was staring me in the face.· The answer had been staring him in the face for months.
when something wrong, bad, or dishonest is very obvious use this about something that someone does which is clearly bad, but which they do not seem to be ashamed of: · a blatant lie· The company's refusal to hire him was a blatant act of discrimination.· a blatant disregard for public safety
done in a very obvious way and showing no respect for laws, rules, or the truth etc: · The regime has often been criticized for its flagrant abuses of human rights.· Poison gas was used, in flagrant disregard of the Geneva Convention.
use this about mistakes or problems that are obviously bad or wrong: · It was a glaring error, which cost the company over $2 million in lost business.· "It was a glaring example of bad judgment," said one official who asked not to be named.
formal: patently false/absurd/ridiculous/impossible etc obviously false, absurd etc, in a way that no reasonable person could disagree with: · Jenkins' explanation of the situation is patently absurd.· The statement is patently false and an embarrassing public demonstration of his weakness as university leader.
not obvious a subtle change or difference is difficult to notice unless you look closely or think about it carefully: · The patterns look very similar, but there are subtle differences between them.· We noticed some deterioration in her speech, but it was very subtle.· It was around this time that I started to notice subtle changes in Clive's character.
something, especially an object, that is unobtrusive is not very noticeable, especially because it is small or ordinary compared to other things: · The aerial is small and unobtrusive, fitting closely to the chimney stack.· The researchers will make their observations in the most unobtrusive way possible.· Hart, who attended law school with Danforth, remembers him as "quiet and unobtrusive."
things or people that are inconspicuous are not noticeable because they look the same as the people or things around them: · Carpet cleaner should always be tested in an inconspicuous spot first.· The two bank robbers got in line at a nearby fast-food restaurant, hoping to be inconspicuous as police flooded the area.
something that is easy to notice a fact that is obvious is easy to see or realize: · She tried to look grateful, but her disappointment was obvious.it is obvious (to somebody) that: · It's obvious that Paul is in love with Liz.· It was obvious to everyone that Gina was lying.
easy to notice: · After two days there was a noticeable improvement in his health.· The new supermarket has had a noticeable effect on people's shopping habits.it is noticeable that: · It was noticeable that no one at the party was under 40.
formal someone or something that is conspicuous is very easy to notice, especially because they look very different from everyone or everything around them: · It was a small country town, and Lauren looked very conspicuous in her fashionable New York clothes.
eye-catching colours, designs, patterns etc are bright, attractive, and unusual, so everyone notices them: · an eye-catching ad· The posters come in several eye-catching designs.
if something stands out , it is easy to notice because it looks very different from everything around it: · A yellow background will make the black lettering stand out.· Joanna, a six-foot-three redhead, stood out in her small Iowa farm community like a palm tree in a cornfield.stand out against: · The dark shapes of the trees stood out against the evening sky.
spoken say this when you are telling someone how to get to a place that is very easy to find or to notice: · Their house has a pink door. You can't miss it.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs It was blindingly obvious that Max wasn’t interested. Some of the clues were glaringly obvious. It was painfully obvious he’d rather not see her again. It’s patently obvious that you’re in love with her. Fine, but aren’t you just stating the obvious here?
· It seems obvious to me that he is guilty.
· This may sound obvious, but don’t forget to put your name on your paper.
· It soon became obvious that the boy was not really interested.
nouns· The plan, for obvious reasons, was being kept secret.
· This case is an obvious example of what can go wrong.
· The obvious question is: why?
· There is no obvious answer to their problem.
adverbs (=extremely obvious)· The cause of her problems is glaringly obvious.
(=clearly obvious)· His interest in her was blatantly obvious.
(=very obvious, and embarrassing or upsetting)· It became painfully obvious that she and Edward had nothing in common.
· The cause of the pain was not immediately obvious.
(also pretty obvious spoken)· There are some fairly obvious signs of a poor diet.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· The obvious answer is to raise taxes, but that would be unpopular.
It was blindingly obvious that Max wasn’t interested.· All her symptoms led to the obvious conclusion – she was pregnant.
· There is an obvious connection between this painting and his earlier works.
· There was a clear contrast between the father and the son.
· There is a clear correlation between carbon dioxide emissions and global warming.
(=easy to see)· Spencer was staring at the girl with obvious delight.
(=clear for other people to see)· He shuffled his feet around in obvious embarrassment.
· Our climate is changing at an alarming rate. The melting of the polar ice caps is an obvious example of this.
· The earliest historical records, with the obvious exception of Chinese, are written in Indo-European languages.
(=one that is easy to see or notice)· There is no obvious explanation for his strange behaviour.
Some of the clues were glaringly obvious. It was painfully obvious he’d rather not see her again. It’s patently obvious that you’re in love with her.· This arrangement must be kept secret, for obvious reasons.
· ‘OK,’ he said, with obvious reluctance.
· There are clear signs of a slowdown in economic growth.
Fine, but aren’t you just stating the obvious here?· He doesn't have an obvious successor as leader.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· I think it's fairly obvious why.· It should be fairly obvious that the choice of air appropriate discount rate is a key decision in the capital budgeting process.· Many of its effects are fairly obvious and generally acknowledged.· It should be fairly obvious that the effect of an expense is to decrease owners' equity.· The need for a high degree of safety should be fairly obvious.· To Carol Wilson, however, it became fairly obvious that Copeland wanted to sign Sting's publishing to his own company.· The advantages of using systematic numbering should be fairly obvious.
· The implications of this remark were not immediately obvious.· Other political figures are immediately obvious: an embittered Jesse Jackson stand-in.· Over half a million people have watched the first two Tests and two things are immediately obvious.· This detail would have been immediately obvious had the slipper been made of glass.· The distinction between primary and secondary sources will not always be immediately obvious to the pupil.· As is immediately obvious, a psychotherapy based on this approach is quite different from one based on the older questions.· Any difference in taste is immediately obvious.
· Some are closely related to a specific professional qualification, while in others a vocational orientation is much less obvious.· What may be less obvious is how time consuming, expensive, and risky it is to alter such arrangements.· Architecture is less obvious, but it still happens.· The iron rule of the market has been much less obvious than was the rule of the military during the cold war.· From the particle point of view the result is less obvious.· In other places, natural controls on the distribution of animals are less obvious.· Slightly less obvious but essential to the winding up of the nerve endings is Michael Carr's neglect of his wife.· Occasionally the targets are less obvious than Percy.
· Bolder colours need to be blended smoothly, as faults in application will always be more obvious.· To most of us, however, nothing is more obvious than that the universe really is quite something.· Drosera rotundifolia is uncommon and Sphagna are mush less abundant, while Cladonia species and Racomitrium are much more obvious.· The rest, I fear, is still more obvious.· Compare this with the rather more obvious open-hand attack to the face.· Deeper, more obvious onion flavor in every bite than others tried.· The national summarizes complex social and economic issues where the sources of fury are more obvious.· Water restriction would lead to more obvious hypertonicity.
· The most obvious one would be the will, but murder by advantaged legatees is a risky business.· Raskin was so protective of these qualities that he fought even the most obvious concessions to granting the machine more power.· If the brain is a machine, why do the most obvious associations sometimes escape us?· The most obvious editor was also probably your first teacher.· It's the most obvious thing to do.· The most obvious case surrounds the Convention Center arena.· Among the most obvious categories here are the unskilled, the young, black people and those made redundant from manufacturing.· The most obvious of these was the tax deductibility of mortgage interest payments.
· She had resented Eline from the first moment and made her hate of Joe Harries painfully obvious.· Should the government reduce the actual frequency of tragedies, or should it simply make them less painfully obvious?· Statistics aren't necessary to document what is painfully obvious.· It was soon painfully obvious who the winner was in this contest.· It was becoming painfully obvious that apart from a brief, overpowering lust there was no reciprocation of her fragile feelings.· Perhaps the most important of those things seems painfully obvious, at least to wine country insiders.· It has become even more painfully obvious now.· For all her cheerfulness it was painfully obvious that she was feeling awful.
· It's pretty obvious that Kurt Cobain has been running on reserve tanks for most of this Euro-jaunt.· They were pretty obvious in the old days.· That's pretty obvious....· But it's pretty obvious where that ridiculous attraction came from.· It was pretty obvious he made the right decision.· It seems pretty obvious they both attend the same origami evening class.· Which was pretty obvious, really.
· Well, Malcolm, I said I can't do this any more, it's quite obvious.· Here it is quite obvious that Yeltsin will not compromise.· What puzzles a philosopher and taxes his mind to distraction may look completely irrelevant or quite obvious to a businessman.· A few of the conflicts of interest in the obesity research field seem quite obvious.· It became quite obvious who really needed spanking.· When I processed my attitudes towards money, the reasons became quite obvious.· It was quite obvious where Miss Rose's interests still lay.· It was quite obvious what was going on.
· It was all so obvious he didn't know why he hadn't worked it out before.· It all seemed so obvious: there was a correct position for every-thing, at all points in the swing.· The effect Jennifer had on him was so obvious that Ann was amazed he made no attempt to disguise it.· The human price is not so obvious at first.· It was so obvious that Alex saw her as second best.· These principles are so obvious that many organizations overlook them.· But this made it so obvious who had sent this copy that he was astonished that it had been sent at all.· But he had let it become so obvious that the civic leaders were complaining.
· Nigel couldn't really review the stories himself - that would look too obvious.· But the movie tells the wrong story, getting detoured into a murder investigation whose solution is far too obvious.· They did not want it to be too obvious, since observing the search would provide them with great amusement.· Evidently, however, the landing zone was too obvious, and the enemy was prepared.· Some may complain that such tricks are too obvious.· The rest of us waited to see what would happen, tryIng not to make our interest too obvious.· It's too obvious to need saying, but I wonder whether we think of it enough.· Something to make me laugh without being too obvious.
· Here we have a K-type supergiant, whose colour is very obvious in binoculars.· Because of the very obvious advantages of growing in containers the practice, in far too many hands, has become a circus.· This becomes very obvious once you put the process into practice.· His interest in education was very obvious and his attendance at Keele was evidence of this.· With some speakers the difference is not very obvious.· She was alarmed to hear a very obvious lack of conviction in her voice, though.· Maxim's assumption came as a relief- and a very obvious fact.· In the spring, this need of young animals for the company of those of the same age is very obvious.
NOUN· Where it's good it's very good indeed and all-wheel drive at this price as an obvious advantage.· Despite the obvious advantages of a unified perspective for collective political action, the differences among women disallow such a perspective.· This has obvious advantages for local users.· There are obvious advantages to the camera approach.· Their true jaws are of obvious advantage for grasping prey.· These large companies have obvious advantages in the service provider business because of their well-known brand names.· For these boats a sail which allows them to compete more evenly under handicap rules has obvious advantages.· The most obvious advantage of this system was that it made obsolete the fifty-five spheres of Aristotle.
· The obvious answer is to draw it back to the side away from the corner, but this can create an unbalanced appearance.· Video teleconferencing seemed the obvious answer to span the communications gap.· Cui bono? has a too obvious answer.· If counterintelligence becomes the overriding mission, the obvious answer is the solution first offered by Sen.· To all these and other equally weighty questions, I had no obvious answers yet.· The obvious answer, of course, is that it is just another example of the Government's incompetence.· For the Terrells a good many of the obvious answers are irrelevant.
· An obvious candidate is a visual recognition system.· The obvious candidate as vehicle would have been gesture.· Charity was an obvious candidate, Charles considered, and she was probably being watched.· And a fund wishing to commit money to the international media industry has in Reed/Elsevier an obvious candidate for such an investment.· Genes must surely be made of something that is itself various-and the most obvious candidate was protein.· Heavily leaded bronzes are obvious candidates for analysis.· An obvious candidate is some stylised representation of a finite-state machine.· Smaller and less costly items such as pens, beauty products and food are much more obvious candidates for a more general distribution.
· Most flooring can be laid anywhere in the house but there are some obvious choices for certain rooms.· No problem, Mr Hinds had said, the obvious choice was Renie LaChance.· Given the nature of the project, Pontus Hulten was an obvious choice to direct the artistic activities of the new Kunsthalle.· That they have everybody back, another year bigger, stronger and smarter, makes them the obvious choice.· Most frequently the group had several alternative plants to consider for closure rather than an obvious choice.· Says Ted: My father was the obvious choice.· Joseph Fiennes has never been one for obvious choices.· Best apres ski: The obvious choice is Rainbow Lodge.
· An obvious example is the relationship of a part to a whole.· An obvious example was reported recently in Tennessee.· Advertising material is an obvious example.· A single obvious example should suffice to make the point.· A direct and obvious example is that many marine animals are dispersed around the globe by ocean currents.· Constitutional monarchies are obvious examples of political systems with a dual executive.· An obvious example would be a painting called Bald Eagle, made in 1955, one year before the car accident.· One obvious example is the almost universal ban against committing adultery with another man s wife.
· The most obvious fact is that real problems are rare.· Better for Seifert would be to concentrate on the more obvious facts.· But the most obvious fact about the social world is that what happens in it has meaning for the inhabitants.· Unspoken was the obvious fact that people already knew whether they had a family member on board.· This should not obscure the obvious fact that they are also profit-making concerns, too.· Maxim's assumption came as a relief- and a very obvious fact.· The two broken marriages and then the obvious fact that he didn't think much of her.· The obvious fact that people of comfortable circumstance live peacefully together and those afflicted by poverty do not goes largely unnoticed.
· But despite the obvious problems it's hoped the unit will be operational within two weeks.· There are obvious problems for the stability of the state if these different groups are in conflict with each other.· Anxiety in the horse has many other unfortunate side effects besides the obvious problems of handling and riding such horses.· Out on crowded Third Avenue, the people with obvious problems look a bit different to me now.· A second obvious problem is the striking blank where normally we would expect to find discussion of content.· The most obvious problem, the coup de grace, was a quite unexpected side-effect.· Judicial disagreement of this kind presents an immediate and obvious problem for conventionalism.
· An obvious question is the nature of the morphogen.· The obvious question is: Why?· Leaving aside antislavery as a convenience for particular interests, an obvious question occurs.· The obvious question to ask would be: why do mice give birth to mice and elephants to elephants?· The next obvious question concerns the reasonableness of such a range of conditions.· That raises obvious questions about the priorities of federal drug enforcement agents and prosecutors.
· Even if he did politely turn down Branson's parting offer of a seat on Virgin's inaugural flight - for obvious reasons.· And certainly not any specific church, club, movement, party or Klan, for obvious reasons.· Unfortunately it is not easy - for obvious reasons - to study modern submarine lava flows in their proper environment.· The ratio is 60 percent womens bathrooms to mens in the new arena for, ahem, obvious reasons.· For obvious reasons, laser beams or submerged fluorescent wires can not be used to mark the start line.· For obvious reasons it is never fully expressible in words.· There are two obvious reasons why it may be hard to set up this market.· For many and obvious reasons, it was impossible to take much time away from her work and home.
· There are now obvious signs that we are here to stay.· Only one showed no obvious signs of violence.· After a quick look round to make sure that weed left no obvious signs of our own visit, we left.· They maybe the only obvious signs of social status.· Check fish for obvious signs of bacterial disease before you buy them.· The most obvious sign was a blitz called by defensive coordinator Fred Whittingham with just over two minutes left in the game.· In the pages that follow I will characterize some of the more obvious signs of a badly organized and motivated operation.· The only obvious sign of wear and tear is a groaning gearbox, while the engine smokes a little on start-up.
· New auditors are for ever charging at birth as an obvious target.· Far from being impartial, he had an obvious target.· Clearly the review might shift this balance making pensions the obvious target.· My cousin was simply the easiest and most obvious target.· Child benefit may be another obvious target for the departmental review.· It has been an obvious target for economy-minded governments.· They were an obvious target for hungry birds and were easily picked off.
· As well as the more obvious things like reducing energy costs and recycling where possible, the community is benefiting from the programme.· This may seem a startlingly obvious thing to say.· We knew we wanted to do obvious things like health.· The obvious thing was to start backtracking.· The obvious thing was the gold watch, wrapped up at the bottom in a bit of cloth.· To drop it as soon as it was ready seemed natural, the obvious thing to do.· It's the most obvious thing to do.· For the most obvious thing about them is that they have led to continuous bodily improvement.
· Perhaps the most obvious way to build strength is by training with weights.· One obvious way of conceptualizing generality is in terms of knowledge.· In a society that values freedom above all, the obvious way to celebrate a centenary is just to keep driving.· The most obvious way to get through to them was via the media.· One obvious way to minimize this problem is to reduce the number of different data formats.· Another obvious way of increasing plasticity is to mix a relatively fine plastic clay with a stiff clay.· In nature, the obvious way is through genetic relatedness - kinship.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- Duncan Sandys was the obvious choice.
- Given the nature of the project, Pontus Hulten was an obvious choice to direct the artistic activities of the new Kunsthalle.
- Mentheus of Caledor, the obvious choice, was dead.
- Most frequently the group had several alternative plants to consider for closure rather than an obvious choice.
- No problem, Mr Hinds had said, the obvious choice was Renie LaChance.
- Says Ted: My father was the obvious choice.
- That they have everybody back, another year bigger, stronger and smarter, makes them the obvious choice.
- But they haven't done the obvious thing and abandoned ship.
- I had always loved walking so it seemed the obvious thing to do.
- It would be the obvious thing to do under the circumstances.
- Looking at it from a businessman's point of view, it's the obvious thing to do.
- To drop it as soon as it was ready seemed natural, the obvious thing to do.
- Finally, at the risk of stating the obvious, I'd like to say that managers must manage better.
- Do you have to state the obvious?
- Don't waste precious time stating the obvious.
- Let's state the obvious, shall we?
- Sometimes he stated the obvious, and sometimes he was wrong; but he was curious, and he made connections.
- These are, to state the obvious again, not homosexual poems.
- To point out that his statistical contribution in Seattle was negatively aberrant is to state the obvious.
- You might also have to avoid stating the obvious.
- As is immediately obvious, a psychotherapy based on this approach is quite different from one based on the older questions.
- It may be obvious that the postholes represent structures, but little else may be immediately apparent.
- On the other hand, no new direction was immediately apparent.
- Once a site is put back into production, it may not be immediately obvious that the archaeological sites have been destroyed.
- Over half a million people have watched the first two Tests and two things are immediately obvious.
- The distinction between primary and secondary sources will not always be immediately obvious to the pupil.
- The reason for this difficulty is immediately apparent.
WORD FAMILYnounobviousnessadjectiveobviousadverbobviously
1easy 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.2behaving 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.3the/an obvious choice the person or thing that you would expect everyone to choose: Teaching is an obvious choice of career if you like working with children.4the obvious thing (to do) what clearly seems the best thing to do: The obvious thing is to speak to her before you make a decision.5state the obvious to say something that is already obvious so it is not necessary to say it: It is stating the obvious, but regular measurement of blood pressure is essential in older people.—obviousness noun [uncountable]COLLOCATIONSverbsseem/appear obvious· It seems obvious to me that he is guilty.sound obvious· This may sound obvious, but don’t forget to put your name on your paper.become obvious· It soon became obvious that the boy was not really interested.nounsan obvious reason· The plan, for obvious reasons, was being kept secret.an obvious example· This case is an obvious example of what can go wrong.an obvious question· The obvious question is: why?the obvious answer· There 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 obvious· The 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 it: · There 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 doubts: · It 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 something: · Steroid 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 them: · a conspicuous white spot on the bird’s wings· She 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 else: · the unmistakable sound of gunfire· The 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 them: · The 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 of: · a blatant lie· The 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 this: · Even though it was dark, she could tell it was him.· How can you tell if you’ve broken your arm?- Private Eye
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