Question

in_the_loop_674 not to blend in; to be obvious and prominent or easily seen Compare to: stand out in a crowd

Accepted Answer

STICK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB John said he planned to wear shorts and a sweatshirt to the wedding, but I told him it would be completely inappropriate. I told him he would stick out like a sore thumb and everyone would notice him.The paintings of the modern artists stuck out like a sore thumb in the classical art museum. They just didn’t belong there, grouped together with the old masters. Whereas stand out in a crowd is usually a positive attribute, stick out like a sore thumb is a negative one. It is used to describe someone (or, less frequently, something) in a situation where one ought to blend in but doesn’t.

Id	in_the_loop_674
Idiom	STICK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB
Definition	not to blend in; to be obvious and prominent or easily seen
Examples	John said he planned to wear shorts and a sweatshirt to the wedding, but I told him it would be completely inappropriate. I told him he would stick out like a sore thumb and everyone would notice him. The paintings of the modern artists stuck out like a sore thumb in the classical art museum. They just didn’t belong there, grouped together with the old masters.
Cross-Refs	Compare to: stand out in a crowd
Extra Info	Whereas stand out in a crowd is usually a positive attribute, stick out like a sore thumb is a negative one. It is used to describe someone (or, less frequently, something) in a situation where one ought to blend in but doesn’t.

Sore Thumb Stick Blend I Told Stand Crowd