noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
obvious; transparent; see-through
Describes something that is so obvious it's almost laughable, often used for lies, excuses, or attempts to hide something. Carries a slightly critical or mocking tone.
His excuse was so obvious.
あの嘘は見え見えだよ。
That lie is totally transparent.
Standard kanji spelling; the repetition of 見え emphasizes the obviousness.
Kana spelling is common in casual writing and when the kanji repetition feels heavy.
Reduplication of the stem 見え (from 見える 'to be visible'), creating an emphatic noun/adjective meaning 'plainly visible' or 'obvious'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the pattern is common in colloquial Japanese.