obscure

[uhb-skyoor]

adjective

obscurer, obscurest 

1. (of meaning) not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain.

   an obscure sentence in the contract.

   Synonyms: dubious, doubtful
   Antonyms: certain

2. not clear to the understanding; hard to perceive.

   obscure motivations.

3. (of language, style, a speaker, etc.) not expressing the meaning clearly or plainly.

4. indistinct to the sight or any other sense; not readily seen, heard, etc.; faint.

   Synonyms: veiled
   Antonyms: clear, clear

5. inconspicuous or unnoticeable.

   the obscure beginnings of a great movement.

6. of little or no prominence, note, fame, or distinction.

   an obscure French artist.

   Synonyms: unknown, undistinguished
   Antonyms: conspicuous, noted

7. far from public notice, worldly affairs, or important activities; remote; retired.

   an obscure little town.

   Synonyms: inconspicuous, secluded

8. lacking in light or illumination; dark; dim; murky.

   an obscure back room.

   Synonyms: somber, shadowy, dusky
   Antonyms: bright

9. enveloped in, concealed by, or frequenting darkness.

10. not bright or lustrous; dull or darkish, as color or appearance.

11. (of a vowel) having the reduced or neutral sound usually represented by the schwa (ə).

verb (used with object)

obscured, obscuring 

1. to conceal or conceal by confusing (the meaning of a statement, poem, etc.).

2. to make dark, dim, indistinct, etc.

3. to reduce or neutralize (a vowel) to the sound usually represented by a schwa (ə).

noun

1. obscurity.

obscure

/ ˌɒbskjʊˈreɪʃən, əbˈskjʊə /

adjective

1. unclear or abstruse

2. indistinct, vague, or indefinite

3. inconspicuous or unimportant

4. hidden, secret, or remote

5. (of a vowel) reduced to or transformed into a neutral vowel ( ə )

6. gloomy, dark, clouded, or dim

verb

1. to make unclear, vague, or hidden

2. to cover or cloud over

3. phonetics to pronounce (a vowel) with articulation that causes it to become a neutral sound represented by ( ə )

noun

1. a rare word for obscurity

Other Word Forms

• obscuredly adverb
• obscurely adverb
• obscureness noun
• subobscure adjective
• subobscureness noun
• unobscure adjective
• unobscureness noun
• unobscured adjective
• obscuration noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of obscure¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French oscur, obscur, from Latin obscūrus “dark”

Word History and Origins

Origin of obscure¹

C14: via Old French from Latin obscūrus dark

Synonym Study

See mysterious. See dark.

Example Sentences

If you want to catch a glimpse keep an eye on the forecast though as cloud may obscure the view in some places.

From BBC

Most scenes filmed with a human are seen from the waist down or with the human’s face conveniently obscured, reminiscent of how the “Peanuts” cartoons depict a kid’s perspective of adults.

From Salon

This is a common problem: the credentials or motives of those spreading medical mistruths are often obscured.

From BBC

To evade these sanctions, Moscow has built up what has been referred to as a "shadow fleet" of tankers whose ownership and movements could be obscured.

From BBC

To evade these sanctions, Moscow built up what has been referred to as a "shadow fleet" of tankers whose ownership and movements could be obscured.

From BBC

Related Words

• belie 
• blind 
• block out 
• blur 
• camouflage 
• cloud 
• confuse 
• cover 
• darken 
• dim 
• disguise 
• eclipse 
• mask 
• misrepresent 
• muddy 
• overshadow 
• shroud 
• veil