inconspicuous

English

Etymology

First attested circa 17th century, from Late Latin inconspicuus, from in-, "not" + Latin conspicuus, "conspicuous." Modern sense of "not easily noticeable" is from 1828.

Pronunciation

• enPR: ĭn'kən-spĭkʹyo͞o-əs, IPA: /ˌɪn.kənˈspɪk.ju.əs/, X-SAMPA: /%In.k@n"spIk.ju.@s/

Adjective

inconspicuous (comparative more inconspicuous, superlative most inconspicuous)

1. Not prominent or easily noticeable
   • 2004, Shell Oil Company, Let's Collect Rocks and Shells, Kessinger Publishing Co., page 9,

     Approaching danger, whether from octopus, fish or man, arouses caution in a small mollusk and it becomes as inconspicuous as it can.

Synonyms

• invisible

Antonyms

• conspicuous

Related terms

• inconspicuousness

Translations

not prominent or easily noticeable

• Czech: nenápadný (cs) m
• Dutch: onopvallend (nl)
• Finnish: huomiota herättämätön, huomaamaton
• German: unauffällig (de)
• Norwegian: upåfallende (no)

• Polish: niepozorny m, nierzucający się w oczy
• Russian: незаметный (ru) (nezametnyj)
• Spanish: disimulado (es), desapercibido (es)
• Swedish: oansenlig (sv), diskret (sv), tillbakadragen (sv), undangömd (sv), fördold (sv), dold (sv), förstulen (sv)

See also

• obscure
• unnoticeable