To Remark Is to Notice Before It Is to Say
A remark is a comment. The verb originally meant to notice, which survives in remarkable and in unremarked.
A remark is a spoken or written comment. The verb's first sense was to notice: French *remarquer* means to mark again, that is, to observe closely. That original meaning survives in *remarkable*, meaning worth noticing, and in the phrase *it passed unremarked*, meaning nobody noticed it.
- A comment. *A passing remark.*
- To comment. *He remarked on the weather.*
- To notice. *She remarked a change.*
- Remarkable — worth noticing. *A remarkable result.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | remark | A casual remark. |
| Plural | remarks | Opening remarks. |
| Verb | remark | Remark upon it. |
| Adjective | remarkable | Remarkable progress. |
| Adverb | remarkably | Remarkably fast. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Remarkable means worth noticing.The original sense of the verb.
- It passed unremarked.Unnoticed.
- He remarked on the delay.Commented.
Words for saying something
- Remark — a brief comment
- Observe — to comment, with a note of care
- Comment — a general statement about something
- Interject — to break in with a remark
- Quip — a witty remark
From French *remarquer*, to mark or note, from *re-* and *marquer*, to mark, from a Germanic root.
Does *remark* mean to notice?
It did originally, and still can in formal writing. The commenting sense is now far commoner.
Why does remarkable mean impressive?
Because it means worth noticing, and things worth noticing are usually striking.