OBTRUSIVE and CONSPICUOUS are relatively straightforward words. OBTRUSIVE describes someone or something that is undesirably noticeable and therefore intrusive. CONSPICUOUS describes someone or something that is clearly visible and thus noticeable.
So far so good! What could possibly go wrong? As always, SAT test writers have a talent for combining easy words into a challenging vocabulary in context question. Fo example, on a recent test a quote from Thomas Hardy’s 1874 novel Far from the Madding Crowd stated that “The changes of the seasons are less obtrusive on spots of this kind than amid woodland scenery.” The question asked students what the word “obtrusive” most nearly means.
Needless to say, the questions confused many students. The key is the adjective “less.” The changes in the seasons are “less obtrusive” and therefore not CONSPICUOUS!
CONSPICUOUS can be part of a relatively easy question. Recent Reddit reports indicate that CONSPICUOUS is appearing as a possible answer on a vocabulary in context question about fashions. As always, everything depends upon the context. Modern fashions can be outlandish and therefore CONSPICUOUS. But they can also be short-lived and therefore EPHEMERAL!
OBTRUSIVE – someone or something that is undesirably noticeable; intrusive
CONSPICUOUS – someone or something that is clearly visible and easy to see
EPHEMERAL – short-lived; brief