Some people are always pointing out the obvious. They will talk about things that you had assumed were perfectly clear, to the point that they didn’t need to be remarked upon. You might want to find words to refer to these people by. This article will provide several terms.
The best terms to use in situations where someone is stating the obvious are “Captain Obvious”, “redundant” and “prolixity”. In their own ways, these all express the core aspects that someone who states the obvious exhibits, and because of this, they are very valuable and important expressions.
Captain Obvious
“Captain Obvious” is a very useful, albeit slightly derogatory term that you can use to refer to someone who is always stating the obvious. The phrase implies that the person in question is a superhero, with the superpower of stating what is clearly obvious.
“Captain Obvious” is a term that really started picking up steam in the 2000s, with the advent of the internet, and before that point it got practically zero use.
You can call someone “Captain Obvious” and most people will understand what you mean, as the term has become embedded into the popular culture of today.
Here are a few example sentences that showcase the proper use of “Captain Obvious”:
- He’s always pointing out how I’m poorly dressed, thank you Captain Obvious.
- I think if you said these things less, you’d be less of a Captain Obvious.
- Captain Obvious over there thinks that we should depart early before we miss the train.
- I have noticed that it’s raining, thank you Captain Obvious.{
Redundant
“Redundant” is an interesting and powerful adjective to use in the context of saying that someone is pointing out the obvious. It’s not a lot of people’s first choice when it comes to something that is obvious, but it’s actually highly applicable to these situations.
According to The Cambridge Dictionary something that is “redundant” is “unnecessary because it is more than is needed”. Similarly, someone pointing out the obvious is unnecessary, and therefore, can be referred to as redundant.
When someone is “redundant” that means that they are repeating the same information more times than are necessary to convey a piece of knowledge.
Here are some example sentences that’ll teach you how to properly use “redundant” in a sentence:
- I understand your concern, but this was already obvious, so it’s a redundant complaint.
- I think I have to be less redundant because I was just stating what was obvious earlier.
- If we can all manage to be less redundant, we can start to point out things that aren’t obvious.
- She’s really redundant because she’s always pointing out things that we already knew about.
Prolixity
“Prolixity” is a fascinating term, because it’s deeply specific and not a word most people would know about. It’s generally used to refer to something that is, somehow, using more words than are necessary, which in the process entails a necessity of pointing out the obvious.
According to The Cambridge Dictionary, “prolixity” means “the fact of using too many words and therefore being boring or difficult to read or listen to”. This definition makes it obvious how it can be used.
If something uses too many words, then it can safely be assumed to be redundant, and therefore, is probably stating the obvious in one way or another.
Here are a few example sentences that will teach you how to properly use the word “prolixity”:
- He has a tendency to fall into prolixity, but his core ideas are really very good.
- The prolixity of the text was made stronger by the deep redundancy in its ideas.
- You have to make sure your text has less prolixity, because this essay is hard to read.
- I have to avoid prolixity more, because I tend to state the obvious a lot in my speeches.
Self-evident
When something is “self-evident”, that means that it’s already obvious, and therefore doesn’t need re-stating. This is a great word to keep in mind when people are stating the obvious, because they’ll be talking about things that are “self-evident”. Someone’s ideas might be self-evident and not need more explanations.
According to The Cambridge Dictionary, “self-evident” simply means that something is “clear or obvious without needing any proof or explanation”. This means that people should not over explain something that is already self-evident.
People who state the obvious will very often explain things that are “self-evident”, which is where the real value of this expression can be found, as it’s a great word for stating the obvious.
These example sentences will show you how you can use “self-evident” in a sentence with no issues:
- I think that what you’re explaining is already self-evident and unnecessary.
- She always talks about self-evident things, and states the obvious.
- I have a tendency to state the obvious and refer to things that we all know are self-evident.
- It’s good to be aware of the fact that something being self-evident means you shouldn’t explain it.
Bromide
A somewhat more offbeat choice of word, “bromide” is a word that can be used to a very specific type of sentence that generally talks about something that is obvious, and is therefore a great term to have in mind when discussing terms for stating the obvious.
According to The Cambridge Dictionary, “bromide” is “a remark or statement that, although it might be true, is boring and has no meaning because it has been said so many times before”.
“Bromide” has another, more common, meaning which is that of a drug that can calm people down. However, for the sake of this article, we only care about the more uncommon definition.
Here are a few sentences that will teach you how to use “bromide” in this way in a sentence:
- When confused, he’ll only say trite bromides like “not all that glitters is gold”.
- “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is a bromide, and not a very useful one.
- It’s unfortunate that nowadays he basically only speaks in obvious, trite bromides.
- He then proceeded to name about ten different tired bromides.
Verbose
Though the term “verbose” really only refers to an extreme amount of words used when compared to the actual ideas expressed, it’s a concept that frequently intersects with reiterating the obvious, as when you’re “verbose” enough, you can fall into stating the obvious without much analysis.
According to The Cambridge Dictionary, “verbose” merely means “using or containing more words than are necessary”. When something contains more words than are needed, it’s very common for the text to state the obvious.
Therefore, “verbose” is a very important word to keep in mind when you want to say that someone is stating the obvious and are looking for words to help you do so.
Here are some example sentences that will show you how to properly use “verbose” in context:
- He’s too verbose and explains things that I already think are obvious, so I get bored.
- Though the essay is somewhat verbose, I think it’s still very much worth a read.
- It’s good to keep in mind that being too verbose can be bad, as you can state the obvious.
- She’s so verbose that the class was already bored with her lecture about fifteen minutes in.
Belaboring The Obvious
A somewhat longer phrase that you can use when someone is pointing out the obvious is to say that they are “belaboring the obvious”. While this is evidently a longer expression than merely “stating the obvious”, it has added value because you express how the person is overexplaining the situation.
According to The Cambridge Dictionary, “belabor” means “to explain something more than necessary”. This means that when someone “belabors the obvious”, they’re overexplaining something that is already obvious and self-evident.
To “belabor the obvious”, then, is an incredibly powerful expression not just because of its meaning, but also because it’s an incredibly popular way to refer to someone stating the obvious.
Here are a few sentences that include “belaboring the obvious” in them:
- He talked to me all night, but most of that was just him belaboring the obvious.
- Not to belabor the obvious, but it seems clear to me we must cancel the trip.
- It’s important to try to not belabor the obvious, as it can be bad for productivity.
- She was just belaboring the obvious when she talked about the things we need for this project.
Glaringly Obvious
“Glaringly obvious” is a particularly harsh way to emphasize that someone has said something that was already more than self-evident. By saying that something is glaringly obvious, you’re making a big point of the fact that what is being stated is already too obvious to mention in the first place.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines “glaring” as something that is “used to say that something bad is very obvious”. This means that the use of “glaringly obvious” should be saved for situations that are negative.
However, in these situations that are negative in nature, “glaringly obvious” can be a great way to emphasize the obviousness of something.
Here are a few examples of how to use “glaringly obvious” in context, using example sentences:
- She pointed out several loopholes that were already, I’m sorry to say, glaringly obvious.
- This is all glaringly obvious so I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make.
- You have to realize that your mistakes are glaringly obvious and must be fixed.
- It’s important to talk about things that aren’t glaringly obvious already.
Already Clear
Something that is “already clear” is something that doesn’t need to be over-explained or really emphasized, just because it has already previously been made obvious. This is a good way to describe things that people who state the obvious might want to explain.
According to The Cambridge Dictionary, something that is “clear” is “certain, having no doubt, or obvious”. This final part, the “obvious”, is what’s relevant for this particular explanation.
Here are some examples of how to use “already clear” in a sentence:
- All the things you’ve spent hours explaining were already clear beforehand.
- It’s already clear, you don’t need to state the obvious.
- She’s stating the obvious, especially for things that were already clear.
- How this will go is already clear, we shouldn’t need to point out the obvious.