What does blatantly mean?
"Blatantly" is an adverb meaning in an open, conspicuous, and unashamed manner, typically applied to actions that are bad, dishonest, or offensive. When someone does something blatantly — lies, cheats, ignores rules, or shows favouritism — they do it without any attempt to hide it, often with a boldness that itself adds insult to injury. The word carries a firmly negative connotation and is frequently used as an intensifier: something can be "blatantly obvious," "blatantly false," or "blatantly unfair." It derives from the adjective "blatant," which the Elizabethan poet Edmund Spenser coined in The Faerie Queene (1590) for a monstrous, thousand-tongued beast whose name suggested loud bellowing; over time the sense shifted from noisy clamour to shameless openness. Today "blatantly" appears constantly in journalism, political commentary, and everyday complaint, valued for capturing not just wrongdoing but wrongdoing performed brazenly, in full view. It is standard in both British and American English.
adverbIn a blatant manner; openly and unashamedly, especially in a way that is offensive or conspicuous. Used to emphasize that something objectionable is done without any attempt to hide it.
- In an open and unashamed manner, especially of something bad or offensive done without any attempt at concealment.
- In an offensively conspicuous or clamorous way.
"He blatantly ignored the rules, assuming no one would dare challenge him."
"The company was blatantly violating safety regulations, with inspectors walking past the hazards every day."
"She was blatantly favoring her own team, making no effort to disguise her bias."
Coined by Edmund Spenser in his 1590 epic The Faerie Queene to describe a thousand-tongued monster spitting venom — "blatant" literally meant bellowing and clamorous before it came to mean shamelessly obvious.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blatantly
The word "blatantly" derives from "blatant," an adjective coined by the English poet Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queene (1590), where he described the "blatant beast," a monster with a thousand tongues symbolising slander. Spenser apparently formed the word from earlier verbs meaning to bellow or cry out, such as Scots "blate"-related forms and echoes of "blat" (to bleat), suggesting a sense of noisy clamour. Over the seventeenth century the word shifted from literal loudness to figurative offensiveness — being conspicuously and shamelessly evident. Related forms include the noun "blatancy" and connections to words denoting loud sound, such as "blare."
Related word forms
How blatantly is actually used
"Blatantly" carries strongly negative connotations — it almost always introduces criticism of behaviour regarded as improper, dishonest, or rude. It functions as an intensifying adverb in set phrases such as "blatantly obvious." Common in both British and American English, it suits journalism and everyday speech alike but is rare in neutral technical writing.
Easily confused with blatantly
"Blatant" is the adjective describing something openly offensive or conspicuous, while "blatantly" is the adverb form describing how an action is performed.