visible
gb/vˈɪzɪbəl/ us/vˈɪzɪbəl/
A2
English
~ 2800
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
property
1
Able to be seen
Something you can see with your eyes.
Usage pattern:
[something] is visible
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'visible' with 'obvious'. 'Visible' only means it can be seen, while 'obvious' means it is easy to notice or understand.
Synonyms
noticeable (Emphasizes that something attracts attention, not just that it can be seen.)
|
apparent (Often suggests something is clear or obvious, not only visible to the eye.)
Antonyms
invisible (Means completely unable to be seen.)
Collocations
clearly visible
|barely visible
|visible sign
|visible difference
|visible light
Themes
perception
|daily life
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The mountains are visible from my bedroom window.
- Her excitement was clearly visible on her face.
- The stain was barely visible in the dim light.
- The moon is visible tonight despite the clouds.
- The damage became visible after the paint was removed.
Learner examples
- The stars are visible in the sky.
- My house is visible from the road.
- Your phone is visible on the table.
- The words are visible on the screen.
- The cat is visible under the bed.
adjective
B1
property
2
Easily noticed or observed
Easy to see or notice.
Usage pattern:
[something] is visible
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'visible' instead of 'clear' when talking about ideas or concepts that are not physical.
Synonyms
conspicuous (Suggests standing out strongly and attracting attention.)
Antonyms
unnoticeable (Means so small or subtle that it is not easily noticed.)
Collocations
visible effort
|visible improvement
|visible change
Themes
communication
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- There was a visible improvement in her health.
- He made no visible effort to help.
- The teacher's frustration was visible to everyone in the room.
- A visible change in policy occurred after the meeting.
Learner examples
- There is a visible change in his work.
- She showed a visible smile.
- We saw a visible improvement in her English.
- His anger was visible to me.
Grammar
Dictionary form
visible
IPA
GB/vˈɪzɪbəl/
US/vˈɪzɪbəl/
Syllables & stress
vis - ible (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (vis)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: visible
- Comparative: visibler
- Superlative: visiblest
Word family
Forms
visibler
adjective
visiblest
adjective
Core family
visibly
adverb B1
visibility
noun B1
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
visualize
verb B2
visualization
noun B2
Expressions
make something visible
1/mˈeɪk sˈʌmθɪŋ vˈɪzɪbəl/
fixed phrase
Cause to be able to be seen
To cause something to be seen or noticed.
Examples
- The lights made the path visible at night.
- He tried to make his work more visible online.
visible to the naked eye
1/vˈɪzɪbəl tə ðə nˈeɪkɪd ˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
Can be seen without help
Able to be seen without using tools like a microscope or telescope.
Examples
- The comet was visible to the naked eye last night.
- Some bacteria are too small to be visible to the naked eye.