Obviously Meaning
Obviously Definition & Usage
Used to emphasize that something is easily understood or apparent.
Examples
- "Obviously, the sky is blue when the sun is out."
- "The answer is obviously 42, anyone can see that."
- "It was obviously a mistake; no one could have missed that detail."
- "She obviously didn't want to go to the party, as she kept canceling plans."
- "He was obviously upset after hearing the news."
Used sarcastically to imply that something should have been clear or obvious to the listener or viewer, but wasn’t.
Examples
- "Obviously, you're not listening to a word I'm saying!"
- "It’s obviously not the right way to do it, but let’s try anyway."
- "He obviously doesn’t care about the rules, does he?"
- "Obviously, you didn’t do your homework last night!"
- "You missed the obvious point in the discussion, didn’t you?"
Cultural Context
The word 'obviously' comes from the Latin 'obvia', meaning 'facing' or 'in the way', indicating something that is directly visible or evident. Over time, it evolved to its current usage in both straightforward and sarcastic contexts. It is often employed in conversation, casual writing, and even professional settings when pointing out self-evident facts or used ironically.
The Obvious Solution
Story
The Obvious Solution
In a small town nestled between rolling hills, there was an ongoing debate about the best way to improve the community park. For weeks, the townspeople gathered in the local hall, discussing every possible solution. One evening, as the debate dragged on, a young woman named Lily stood up, her voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. 'It’s obvious,' she said, her hands raised in exasperation. 'We’ve been overcomplicating this for too long. The solution is simple: we need more benches and a few shaded areas. That’s all.' Her words were met with silence, followed by a wave of nods. The solution, which seemed so apparent to her, had been clouded by countless suggestions that were, in her eyes, unnecessary. She couldn’t understand why it had taken so long for anyone to say what was so obviously true. Later that evening, in a quiet conversation with her friend Ben, she couldn’t help but laugh at the irony. 'Obviously, it should have been so clear from the start,' she said, shaking her head. 'But we spent all this time debating over complicated designs and ideas.' Ben grinned, but his tone was playful. 'Well, obviously, some people love to overthink things.' As they walked home, Lily reflected on how often the simplest solutions are overlooked in favor of more complex ones. She realized that sometimes, the most obvious answers were the hardest to accept because they seemed too simple to be true. The next town meeting was a success. With the problem solved, the park quickly became a center of joy for the entire community. And as the townspeople enjoyed the new benches under the trees, they couldn’t help but smile at how obvious the solution had been all along.
