Standard Lemma guide

inconspicuous

adj · 3 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.

  • /ˌɪn.kənˈspɪk.ju.əs/
  • British, Southern, Standard: /ˌɪŋkənˈspɪkjʉwəs/
  • Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 NG K AA1 N S P IH0 K W AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Invisible.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inapparent, nonvisible, unconspicuous, disapparent, inconspicuous, invis, invisible, inviso, nondisplayed, out of sight, sightless, unapparent, uneyeable, unseeable, unseen, unspottable, unvisible, viewless

Antonyms: visible, apparent, eyely, seeable, spottable, viewable

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not prominent nor easily noticeable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: improminent, inevident, obscure

Antonyms: conspicuous, attention-grabbing, eye-catching, flashy, glossy, grabby, high-profile, prominent, salient

3

adjective

Meaning 3

not prominent or readily noticeable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he pushed the string through an inconspicuous hole
  • the invisible man

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: invisible

Antonyms: conspicuous

History

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin incōnspicuus. Equivalent to in- + conspicuous.

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: غَيْرُ ظَاهِر (ḡayru ẓāhir) — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Bulgarian: незабележим (nezabeležim) — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Bulgarian: незабелязващ се (nezabeljazvašt se) — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Bulgarian: неотличим (neotličim) — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Bulgarian: неотличаващ се (neotličavašt se) — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Czech: nenápadný — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Dutch: onopvallend — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Finnish: huomiota herättämätön — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Finnish: huomaamaton — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • French: discret — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • German: unauffällig — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Hungarian: alig észrevehető — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Hungarian: nem feltűnő — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Hungarian: feltűnésmentes — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Hungarian: diszkrét — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Hungarian: semleges — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Hungarian: jellegtelen — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Hungarian: jelentéktelen — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Hungarian: észrevétlen — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Hungarian: észrevehetetlen — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Macedonian: незабе́лежлив (nezabéležliv) — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Manx: neuvaghtal — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Norwegian Bokmål: uanselig — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Norwegian Bokmål: upåfallende — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Polish: niepozorny — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Polish: nierzucający się w oczy — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Portuguese: discreto — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Portuguese: inconspícuo — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Russian: незаме́тный (nezamétnyj) — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Slovak: nenápadný — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Spanish: disimulado — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Spanish: desapercibido — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Spanish: discreto — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Swedish: oansenlig — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Swedish: diskret — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Swedish: tillbakadragen — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Swedish: undangömd — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Swedish: fördold — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Swedish: dold — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Swedish: förstulen — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Swedish: omärklig — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Ukrainian: непримітний (neprymitnyj) — not prominent or easily noticeable
  • Ukrainian: непомі́тний (nepomítnyj) — not prominent or easily noticeable
Real reading context

inconspicuous in complete knowledge articles