sticks out like a sore thumb
Impossible to miss
To stick out like a sore thumb is to be conspicuously different from surroundings—impossible to overlook, often awkwardly so.
The image is of an injured thumb, swollen and bandaged, drawing attention among healthy fingers.
In his suit and tie, he stuck out like a sore thumb at the beach party.
Clearly visible, attention-grabbing
- noticeableEasily perceived or observed
- obviousEasily perceived, unmistakable
- glaringHarshly conspicuous or bright
- blatantOffensively conspicuous
eye-catching · prominent · striking · unmistakable · pronounced · salient · flagrant · overt
One excluded from group
- misfitOne who doesn't fit in
- outcastShunned, rejected person
- strangerPerson not yet known
- interloperOne who enters uninvited
alien · pariah · oddball · nonconformist · eccentric · loner · wallflower · excluded
Troubled, not calm
- embarrassedSelf-consciously uncomfortable
- self-consciousUncomfortably aware of oneself
- exposedOut in open
- vulnerableOpen to attack
anxious · uncomfortable · discomfited · conspicuous · scrutinized · watched · judged · spotlight
Not fitting together harmoniously
- jarringDisturbingly incongruous
- discordantLacking musical agreement
- anomalousDeviating from expected norms
- out-of-placeNot fitting the surroundings
mismatched · clashing · incompatible · dissonant · ill-fitting · unsuitable · inappropriate · misfit
Lacking physical coordination
- ungainlyLacking ease of movement
- gracelessLacking smoothness or charm
- gaucheSocially awkward, unrefined
- maladroitLacking physical deftness
inelegant · bumbling · self-conscious · uncomfortable · ill-at-ease · embarrassed · ham-handed · unpolished
conspicuous
Clearly visible, attention-grabbing
- noticeableEasily perceived or observed
- obviousEasily perceived, unmistakable
- glaringHarshly conspicuous or bright
blatant · eye-catching · prominent · striking · unmistakable · pronounced · salient · flagrant · overt · apparent
outsider
One excluded from group
interloper · alien · pariah · oddball · nonconformist · eccentric · loner · wallflower · excluded · isolated
uneasy
Troubled, not calm
- embarrassedSelf-consciously uncomfortable
- self-consciousUncomfortably aware of oneself
- exposedOut in open
vulnerable · anxious · uncomfortable · discomfited · conspicuous · scrutinized · watched · judged · spotlight · singled-out
incongruous
Not fitting together harmoniously
- jarringDisturbingly incongruous
- discordantLacking musical agreement
- anomalousDeviating from expected norms
out-of-place · mismatched · clashing · incompatible · dissonant · ill-fitting · unsuitable · inappropriate · misfit · aberrant
clumsy
Lacking physical coordination
- ungainlyLacking ease of movement
- gracelessLacking smoothness or charm
- gaucheSocially awkward, unrefined
maladroit · inelegant · bumbling · self-conscious · uncomfortable · ill-at-ease · embarrassed · ham-handed · unpolished · gawky
sticks out like a sore thumbblends in
Becomes hard to notice
flies under the radar · camouflaged · inconspicuous · invisible · hidden in plain sight
sticks out like a sore thumbbelongs
Has proper placement
fits like a glove · blends seamlessly · part of the furniture · at home · in one's element
sticks, sticking, sticky, stickiness, outward, likeness, unlike, thumbs, thumbed