påfallande

Påfallande is a Swedish and Norwegian adjective meaning conspicuous, striking, or noticeably evident. It describes something that stands out from its surroundings or from what is expected, whether in appearance, behavior, or results. The nuance is often one of surprise or significance, rather than mere ordinariness. In Swedish, påfallande is common in both spoken and written language and is frequently used in evaluative or analytical contexts. In Norwegian Bokmål, påfallende has a similar meaning and is used in formal and semi-formal registers; it is less common in casual speech than some synonyms, but widely understood.

Etymology and nuance: The term is a compound built from på- and fallande (falling). It conveys the sense that something “falls upon” the observer, thereby attracting attention. Its semantic field overlaps with synonyms such as markant, uppseendeväckande, and anmärkningsvärd, but påfallande often carries a stronger connotation of a noticeable deviation that invites remark or scrutiny.

Usage and examples: It modifies nouns or clauses. Swedish examples: “Det är påfallande hur snabbt projektet slutfördes.” “Det finns en påfallande likhet mellan de två studierna.” Norwegian examples: “Resultatet er påfallende likt fjorårets.” “Det er påfallende hvordan prosjektet ble fullført så raskt.” Common antonyms include obetydlig, vanlig, osynlig.

See also: related terms for emphasis and conspicuity in both languages.