auffälligen

Auffälligen is the attributive, declined form of the German adjective auffällig, meaning conspicuous, noticeable or remarkable. The form auffälligen is used before a plural noun when the noun is accompanied by a determiner that supplies the gender and number, such as der/die/das, ein-/mein-/dein-, or demonstratives. In this position it belongs to the weak (schwache) declension: die auffälligen Merkmale, die auffälligen Muster, mit auffälligen Farben.

In contrast to attributive use, the predicative position after a verb (sein, werden, bleiben) typically preserves the base form auffällig: Die Merkmale sind auffällig. The plural form auffälligen can also appear in phrases with no explicit article when the context provides a determiner-like sense, but it is most common with definite articles or possessives. The meaning remains linked to visibility or perceptual notice: something that stands out or draws attention.

Auffällig is often used in contexts such as design, psychology, criminology, and marketing to describe traits, appearances, or behaviors that attract attention. Its noun form, Auffälligkeit, denotes the property of being conspicuous. Synonyms include markant or auffallend, while unauffällig or unscheinbar serve as antonyms. The term is neutral in itself, though its evaluative weight depends on context and nuance.