Phrase guide

Captain Obvious

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • kăpˌ-tən-ŏbˈ -vēəs
  • -tĭn-
  • UK: /ˌkæptɪn ˈɒbviəs/
  • UK: /-ən -/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˌkæptən ˈɑbviəs/

1

noun

Meaning 1

Someone who makes superfluously obvious statements or who has just made one.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, humorous, sarcastic, usually

Examples

  • Thank you, Captain Obvious!
  • 1994, L. E. Blair, Drummer Girl (Girl Talk series, vol. 12), Golden Books Publishing, →ISBN, page 33, "But you're a girl," the guy said in surprise. This guy was getting on my nerves. "You are Captain Obvious, aren't you?" I shot back.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: master of the obvious

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: Capità Obvi — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Chinese Mandarin: 明知故問的人 /明知故问的人 (míngzhīgùwèn de rén) — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Esperanto: Kapitano Evidenta — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Finnish: Ilmari Ilmiselvä — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • German: Kapitän Offensichtlich — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • German: Columbo — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Hungarian: Nyilvánvaló Kapitány — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Hungarian: milyen meglepő — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Hungarian: minő meglepetés — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Hungarian: csodák csodája — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Hungarian: láss csodát — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Italian: Capitan Ovvio — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Italian: Sherlock Holmes — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Italian: genio — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Kazakh: Капитан Айқындық (Kapitan Aiqyndyq) — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Polish: Kapitan Oczywisty — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Portuguese: Capitão Óbvio — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Russian: Капита́н Очеви́дность (Kapitán Očevídnostʹ) — someone who makes superfluous statements
  • Spanish: Capitán Obvio — someone who makes superfluous statements