Basic Details
Word: Conspicuous
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Very easy to see or notice, because it stands out from what is around it.
Synonyms: noticeable, obvious, prominent, striking
Antonyms: inconspicuous, hidden, unnoticeable
How to Spell Conspicuous
Syllables: con - spic - u - ous
Tricky part: The ending is -uous: a u comes before ous. That u is the letter most students leave out.
Watch out for: conspicous, conspicious, conspicuos
Memory tip: Remember the u by the phrase 'u stand out': conspicuous things stand out, and so does the u before ous.
Idioms and Phrases
- conspicuous by your absence: noticed by everyone because you are not there. Example: "The captain was conspicuous by his absence at the prize-giving."
Usage Examples
Example 1: A red kite is conspicuous against a grey sky.
Example 2: The new statue stands in a conspicuous spot at the crossroads.
Example 3: He tried not to look conspicuous as he slipped in late.
Fun Fact
In 1899 the economist Thorstein Veblen used the phrase conspicuous consumption for spending money on expensive things mainly to show off wealth.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. prominent 2. obscure 3. camouflaged 4. conspicious
a) important and well known
b) hidden by colours that blend in
c) not well known or hard to understand
d) easy to see or notice
Show answer
d) easy to see or notice. Conspicuous has a u, not an i, before ous; the other three words are spelt correctly.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word conspicuous as used in the sentence:
In his bright orange turban, Harjeet was conspicuous in the crowd at the railway station.
a) obvious
b) unnoticeable
c) striking
d) visible
Show answer
b) unnoticeable. Striking, obvious and visible all describe something easy to spot, so they are synonyms, not opposites.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Put the notice in a scipcuuoons place so that every parent sees it.
a) continuous
b) conspicuous
c) conscious
d) contiguous
Show answer
b) conspicuous. Only conspicuous has a p, and the jumble contains one.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these would be most conspicuous in a dark room?
a) a lit candle
b) a closed book
c) a black cat
d) a grey rug
Show answer
a) a lit candle
2. A shy person who wants to be inconspicuous at a party tries to ____.
a) dress in bright colours
b) sing loudly
c) avoid being noticed
d) make a speech
Show answer
c) avoid being noticed
