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obscure

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The definition of obscure is hard to see in the low light or hard to understand.

(adjective)

An example of obscure is the scene on a concert stage when the lighting is dim.

Obscure is defined as to make confusing or hard to see.

(verb)

An example of obscure is for a student to use important-sounding words in his science paper to hide the fact that he didn't understand the subject matter.

See obscure in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

lacking light; dim; dark; murky: the obscure night
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
not well-known; not famous: an obscure scientist
Phonet. pronounced as (ə) or (i) because it is not stressed; reduced; neutral: said of a vowel

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

transitive verb obscured, obscuring

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
Phonet. to make (a vowel) obscure

Origin: L obscurare < the adj.

noun

Rare obscurity

Related Forms:

obscurely adverb
obscureness noun

See obscure in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective ob·scur·er, ob·scur·est

Deficient in light; dark.
a. So faintly perceptible as to lack clear delineation; indistinct. See Synonyms at dark.
b. Indistinctly heard; faint.
c. Linguistics Having the reduced, neutral sound represented by schwa (ə).
a. Far from centers of human population: an obscure village.
b. Out of sight; hidden: an obscure retreat.
Not readily noticed or seen; inconspicuous: an obscure flaw.
Of undistinguished or humble station or reputation: an obscure poet; an obscure family.
Not clearly understood or expressed; ambiguous or vague: “an impulse to go off and fight certain obscure battles of his own spirit” (Anatole Broyard). See Synonyms at ambiguous.

transitive verb ob·scured, ob·scur·ing, ob·scures

To make dim or indistinct: Smog obscured our view. See Synonyms at block.
To conceal in obscurity; hide: “Unlike the origins of most nations, America's origins are not obscured in the mists of time” (National Review).
Linguistics To reduce (a vowel) to the neutral sound represented by schwa (ə).

noun

Something obscure or unknown.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old French obscur

Origin: , from Latin obscūrus; see (s)keu- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: