obscure Hear it!

obscure Definition

ob·scure (əb skyo̵or′, äb-)

adjective

  1. lacking light; dim; dark; murky the obscure night
  2. not easily perceived; specif.,
    1. not clear or distinct; faint or undefined an obscure figure or sound
    2. not easily understood; vague; cryptic; ambiguous an obscure explanation
    3. in an inconspicuous position; hidden an obscure village
  3. not well-known; not famous an obscure scientist
  4. Phonet. pronounced as (ə) or (i) because it is not stressed; reduced; neutral: said of a vowel

Etymology: OFr obscur < L obscurus, lit., covered over < ob- (see ob-) + IE *skuro- < base *(s)keu-, to cover, conceal > hide, sky

transitive verb -·scured′, -·scur′·ing

  1. to make obscure; specif.,
    1. to darken; make dim
    2. to conceal from view; hide
    3. to make less conspicuous; overshadow a success that obscured earlier failures
    4. to make less intelligible; confuse testimony that obscures the issue
  2. Phonet. to make (a vowel) obscure

Etymology: L obscurare < the adj.

noun

Rare obscurity

obscure Related Forms

ob·scure′ly adverb ob·scure′·ness noun

obscure Synonyms

obscure

modif.

  1. Vague

    indistinct, vague, ambiguous, indeterminate, indefinite, enigmatic, cryptic, equivocal, unintelligible, impenetrable, inscrutable, unfathomable, unclear, insoluble, involved, uncertain, indecisive, undefined, intricate, illegible, incomprehensible, hazy, dark, dim, abstruse, unaccountable, inexplicable, inconceivable, complicated, illogical, imprecise, unreasoned, mixed up, doubtful, questionable, dubious, inexact, unreasoned, loose, ill-defined, unidentified, invisible, undisclosed, perplexing, escaping notice, mystical, veiled, secret, concealed, mysterious, recondite, esoteric, puzzling, confusing, confused, difficult, complex, lacking clarity, unreadable, contradictory, wanting precision, in need of clarifying, out of focus, in need of translation, murky, clear as mud*, too much for*, over one's head*, deep*, far out*; see also complex 2, confused 2, confusing, difficult 2, uncertain 2, vague 2.

    Antonyms clear*, definite*, distinct. *

  2. Dark

    cloudy, dense, hazy; see dark 1.

  3. Little known

    unknown, rare, hidden, covered, remote, removed, retired, reticent, secretive, seldom seen, unseen, inconspicuous, humble, invisible, abstruse, mysterious, deep, cryptic, oracular, enigmatic, esoteric, arcane, undisclosed, cabalistic, inexpressible, unapprehended, dark; see also distant 1, irrelevant, profound 2, secret 1.

obscure applies to that which is perceived with difficulty either because it is concealed or veiled or because of obtuseness in the perceiver their reasons remain obscure; vague implies such a lack of precision or exactness as to be indistinct or unclear a vague foreboding; enigmatic and cryptic are used of that which baffles or perplexes, the latter word implying deliberate intention to puzzle an enigmatic smile, a cryptic warning; ambiguous applies to that which puzzles because it allows of more than one interpretation an ambiguous title; equivocal is used of something ambiguous that is deliberately used to mislead or confuse an equivocal answer

obscure Synonyms

obscure

v.

  1. To dim

    shadow, cloud, screen; see shade 2.

  2. To conceal

    cover, veil, wrap; see disguise, hide 1.

obscure Usage Examples

Object

  • fact: However, this detailed analysis should be presented in such a way that does not obscure clear hard facts, which justify the decision.
  • truth: We must not in any way hinder or obscure the truths that Jesus revealed.
  • reality: Both narratives obscure the reality of the assassination as a state crime carried out by the official enforcement apparatus, a coup d'etat.
  • sun: They are normally not thick enough to obscure the sun or the moon.
  • vision: In fire situations, where smoke may also obscure vision, the problem is often fatally compounded.

Subject

words/pictures: It should not be obscured by other words/pictures etc. For example, you should not put price sticker over any of the above information.

Modifies a noun

  • allusion: Unfortunately, due to numerous quirks of language and obscure allusions, the play is difficult to understand without assistance.
  • gem: Covers the popular classics and obscure gems, from the remote Cairngorms to the splendor of the Cuillin.
  • terminology: Write clearly and concisely and avoid jargon or obscure terminology.
  • fault: I would rather pay the extra cost than waste time trying to track down the obscure program faults that bad memory can cause.
  • passage: Spiral Passage used to be one of the more obscure passages in the system, but it is now rapidly becoming a major thoroughfare.
  • corner: The great things that happened there did not occur in an obscure corner of the world.

Modifying Another Word

partially: An elevated view of the harbor, partially obscured by trees.

Used with adjective complement

remain: Their function and meaning remain obscure, tho many have come from graves or shrines and so could either be deities or memorial images.

Preposition: by

  • words/pictures: It should not be obscured by other words/pictures etc. For example, you should not put price sticker over any of the above information.
  • cloud: The kitchen became totally obscured by swirling clouds of steam.
  • mist: Many details of the history of Sunbeam Owners Fellowship history have become obscured by the mists of time.
  • sticker: These dates must be clearly visible to consumers, so it is important that they are not covered or obscured by price stickers.
  • fog: The sun was obscured by morning fog and it felt nice to get a cup of tea before starting to fish.
  • vegetation: Parts of the cliff have stabilized due to coast protection works and are obscured by vegetation now.