Dictionary

obscure en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /əbˈskjʊɹ/ (General-American)
• /əbˈskjɝ/ (General-American)
• (US) audio
• /əbˈskjɔː(ɹ)/ pour–poor merger
• /əbˈskjʊə(ɹ)/ without the pour–poor merger

Etymology

From Middle English obscure, from Old French obscur, from Latin obscūrus (“dark, dusky, indistinct”), from ob- + *scūrus, from Proto-Italic *skoiros, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃-. Doublet of oscuro.

Meanings

1. Dark, faint or indistinct.
   • His lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 20:20:
   • I found myself in an obscure wood. 1892, Denton Jaques Snider, Inferno, 1, 1-2 (originally by Dante Alighieri)
2. Hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous.
   • The obscure bird / Clamoured the livelong night. c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:
   • the obscure corners of the earth 1606, John Davies of Hereford, Bien Venu:
3. Difficult to understand; abstruse.
   • The yawning gap in neuroscientists’ understanding of their topic is in the intermediate scale of the brain’s anatomy. Science has a passable knowledge of how individual nerve cells, known as neurons, work. It also knows which visible lobes and ganglia of the brain do what. But how the neurons are organised in these lobes and ganglia remains obscure. 2013 August 3, “The machine of a new soul”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847:
   • The lock was of a kind that Watt could not pick. Watt could pick simple locks, but he could not pick obscure locks. 1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:
   • an obscure passage or inscription; The speaker made obscure references to little-known literary works.
4. Not well-known.
   • Of all the medical monsters Peter Hotez could have set out to slay, the Yale University researcher could not have chosen a more wily and obscure villain than the hookworm. 1996 October 6, William Hathaway, “PARASITE LINKS MEN IN DARING VENTURE”, in Hartford Courant, archived from the original on 08 Jul 2021:
   • i need to be REALLY careful to not use any obscure words. otherwise my tweets might end up on a wiktionary page 2024 August 4, @rainbowresort_, “Archived copy”, in Twitter, archived from the original on 05 Aug 2024:
5. Unknown or uncertain; unclear.
   • The etymological roots of the word "blizzard" are obscure and open to debate.

Forms

Antonyms

inlighted · certain · illuminable · obvious · explainable · plain · routine · illuminated · explicatable · clear · familiar · predictable · bare · visible · graspable · evident · clear · obvious · renowned · noted · wonted · clear · apprehensible · perspicuous · lit · understandable · clear · known · known · fabled · indubitable · unconcealed · bait · lit up · noteworthy · well-known · proverbial · luminous · intelligible · alight · distinct · famed · known · notorious · tangible · lighted · accessible · exposed · lucid · explicable · mere · acute · pellucid · displayed · acquainted · legendary · famoused · notable · distinct · well-known · famous · distinct · habitual · fathomable · accustomed · iconic · limpid · apparent · vivid · recognizable · manifest · sharp · straightforward · irrecondite · keen · comprehensible · straightforward · wontish · storied · open · clear · clear · lighty

Deriveds

obscureness · obscurification · obscurable · unobscurable · unobscure · reobscure · obscurin · semiobscure · obscurist · obscurely · obscure honeyeater · obscurism · subobscure · obscurify · obscurement · ultraobscure

Relateds

obscurity · clare-obscure · clear-obscure · obscuration

Synonyms

tect · inscrutable · inapprehensible · unascertained · fathomless · inexplicable · latent · unrecognized · fuzzy · dingy · obscure · nonunderstandable · sunless · covered · enigmatic · silent · uninvestigated · invisible · insolvable · undiscoverable · occluded · muzzy · impenetrable · inconspicuous · tenebrous · nondisplayed · unrevealed · dingy · esoteric · undisclosed · unapparent · darkling · concealed · incognizable · inobtrusive · fuzzy · obscured · indefinite · discreet · esoteric · arcane · fathomless · unconspicuous · twilightish · unevident · murksome · adumbral · incomprehensible · cimmerian · dusky · strange · undefined · indistinguishable · unexplainable · lightless · dense · dim · obscure · indistinct · dark · knownless · blear · hidden · ignote · improminent · undecipherable · noteless · cimmerian · unfamiliar · private · secluded · obscure · unintelligible · ununderstandable · obscure · unfathomable · ignote · ill-defined · dark · occult · retruse · unobtrusive · dim · stygian · obscure · distant · obscure · dern · insoluble · dark · secluded · ill-defined · mysterious · dimpsy · inward · recondite · unascertained · gloomy · mysterious · undiscovered · insensible · undiscovered · hazy · leaden · darksome · secreted · ineffable · obfuscated · thick · low-profile · tenebrose · inenubilable · dull · vague · snug · unexplained · shady · unapprehended · secret · tenebrose · unknown · umbrageous · murky · enigmatic · ungraspable · unilluminated · occulted · veiled · mystic · obscure · ill-marked · occluded · swarthy · crepuscular · fuliginous · somber · infernal · mirksome · caliginous · enigmatic · obfuscatory · recondite · Chinese · unknowable · abstruse · bottomless · inevident · sombrous · Greek · underground · inscrutable

Translations (116)

de unklar (dark, faint or indistinct) · hu rejtett (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · km ស្រអាប់ (dark, faint or indistinct) · cmn 名不見經傳的 /名不见经传的 (not well-known) · de schleierhaft (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · de undeutlich (dark, faint or indistinct) · nl verborgen (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · es conceptuoso (not well-known) · bg неразбираем (difficult to understand) · pl mało znany (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · sco mirk (dark, faint or indistinct) · cmn 默默無聞的 /默默无闻的 (not well-known) · ru туманный (difficult to understand) · it nascosto (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · fi hämärä (difficult to understand) · ja 不明瞭 (dark, faint or indistinct) · cmn 晦澀 /晦涩 (difficult to understand) · sv obskyr (not well-known) · bg тъмен (dark, faint or indistinct) · it oscuro (dark, faint or indistinct) · hu ismeretlen (not well-known) · hu kusza (difficult to understand) · hu zavaros (difficult to understand) · hu homályos (dark, faint or indistinct) · eo obskura (dark, faint or indistinct) · mi rehurehu (dark, faint or indistinct) · ru малоизве́стный (not well-known) · hu obskúrus (not well-known) · es conceptuoso (difficult to understand) · non myrkr (dark, faint or indistinct) · ka ბუნდოვანი (dark, faint or indistinct) · es obscuro (not well-known) · cmn 模糊 (dark, faint or indistinct) · pl ukryty (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · de vernebelt (dark, faint or indistinct) · fr obscur (dark, faint or indistinct) · vi ít người biết đến (not well-known) · pt obscuro (dark, faint or indistinct) · nl duister (dark, faint or indistinct) · sub obscure (dark, faint or indistinct) · de unbedeutend (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · bg скрит (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · cs nezřetelný (dark, faint or indistinct) · ru нея́сный (difficult to understand) · vi tối tăm (dark, faint or indistinct) · es obscuro (difficult to understand) · ro obscur (dark, faint or indistinct) · mk замаглен (dark, faint or indistinct) · it poco chiaro (difficult to understand) · it confuso (difficult to understand) · it indistinto (difficult to understand) · ro retras (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · hu bizonytalan (dark, faint or indistinct) · bg неясен (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · de obskur (dark, faint or indistinct) · cmn 不顯眼的 /不显眼的 (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · ar مُظْلِم (dark, faint or indistinct) · ru непоня́тный (difficult to understand) · cmn 不清楚 (dark, faint or indistinct) · pl niewyraźny (dark, faint or indistinct) · cmn 不為人知的 /不为人知的 (not well-known) · sco mirk (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · cmn 不引人注意的 (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · de zweifelhaft (dark, faint or indistinct) · de unbekannt (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · de finster (dark, faint or indistinct) · cmn 陰暗 /阴暗 (dark, faint or indistinct) · fi obskuuri (not well-known) · de dunkel (dark, faint or indistinct) · hu jelentéktelen (not well-known) · bg мрачен (dark, faint or indistinct) · it oscurato (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · bg неизвестен (not well-known) · cs temný (dark, faint or indistinct) · km លឹម (dark, faint or indistinct) · sv mörk (dark, faint or indistinct) · ja 朦朧とした (dark, faint or indistinct) · ro întunecos (dark, faint or indistinct) · de verborgen (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · hu homályos (difficult to understand) · fr sibyllin (difficult to understand) · ru тёмный (dark, faint or indistinct) · km ព្រឹលៗ (dark, faint or indistinct) · cy astrus (difficult to understand) · mk нејасен (dark, faint or indistinct) · grc ἀσαφής (difficult to understand) · de unsichtbar (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · fi huomaamaton (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · vi tối nghĩa (difficult to understand) · fi vaikeaselkoinen (difficult to understand) · ro ascuns (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · de unbestimmt (dark, faint or indistinct) · ru скры́тый (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · de unverständlich (difficult to understand) · la ambiguus (difficult to understand) · pl ciemny (dark, faint or indistinct) · it vago (difficult to understand) · ru сму́тный (dark, faint or indistinct) · mi tāpōuri (dark, faint or indistinct) · cmn 不起眼的 (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · de versteckt (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · ru нея́сный (dark, faint or indistinct) · vi mờ mịt (dark, faint or indistinct) · es obscuro (dark, faint or indistinct) · mk мрачен (dark, faint or indistinct) · de düster (dark, faint or indistinct) · hi धुंधला (dark, faint or indistinct) · de dahergelaufen (dark, faint or indistinct) · fi hämärä (dark, faint or indistinct) · hu érthetetlen (difficult to understand) · hu sötét (dark, faint or indistinct) · cmn 艱澀 /艰涩 (difficult to understand) · hi धूमिल (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · ko 애매한 (dark, faint or indistinct) · ro obscur (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous) · fi piiloutunut (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous)

obscure en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /əbˈskjʊɹ/ (General-American)
• /əbˈskjɝ/ (General-American)
• (US) audio
• /əbˈskjɔː(ɹ)/ pour–poor merger
• /əbˈskjʊə(ɹ)/ without the pour–poor merger

Etymology

From Middle English obscure, from Old French obscur, from Latin obscūrus (“dark, dusky, indistinct”), from ob- + *scūrus, from Proto-Italic *skoiros, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃-. Doublet of oscuro.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To render obscure; to darken; to make dim; to keep in the dark; to hide; to make less visible, intelligible, legible, glorious, beautiful, or illustrious.
   • c. 1688', William Wake, Preparation for Death There is scarce any duty which has been so obscured in the writings of learned men as this.
   • They are all couched in a pit hard by Herne's oak, with obscured lights. c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
2. (transitive) To hide, put out of sight etc.
   • However, many people—including railwaymen—are only beginning to realise how great is the amount of civil engineering work necessary to achieve adequate clearances for high-voltage overhead equipment under bridges and tunnels; what is involved in the re-signalling needed to permit the increased throughput of traffic (in some places it is unavoidable, to afford better sighting of signals obscured by overhead electrical gear); [...]. 1961 December, “Planning the London Midland main-line electrification”, in Trains Illustrated, page 719:
   • It has been little altered over the years save for the addition of a platform awning which rather obscures the arcaded entrance to the booking hall. 1957 August 14, H. P. White, “The Tonbridge-Hastings Line and its Traffic”, in Railway Magazine, page 529:
   • But Richmond[…]appeared to lose himself in his own reflections. Some pickled crab, which he had not touched, had been removed with a damson pie; and his sister saw, peeping around the massive silver epergne that almost obscured him from her view, that he had eaten no more than a spoonful of that either. 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:
   • I realized that the purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure poor reasoning, and inhibit clarity. 1994, Bill Watterson, Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat, page 62:
3. (intransitive, obsolete) To conceal oneself; to hide.
   • How! There's bad news. / I must obscure, and hear it. 1623 (first performance), John Fletcher, William Rowley, “The Maid in the Mill”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act IV, scene ii:

Forms

Antonyms

uncover · illuminate · illume · disclose · alight · lustrate · unfold · fire · reveal · luster · belight · light up · unveil · expose · appear · open · lay bare · illumine · uncloak · show up · shed light on · light · bare · beshine · show · bright · illustrate · show · nake · find out · display · lighten · irradiate · luster · bewray · beshine · reveal · enlighten · belight · betray

Synonyms

conceal · bemist · occult · bedarken · lie low · secrete · hide out · bedim · keep a low profile · obliterate · becloud

Translations (36)

it occultare (to hide, put out of sight) · de verdecken (to hide, put out of sight) · es absconder (disused) (to hide, put out of sight) · it nascondere (to hide, put out of sight) · es ocultar (to hide, put out of sight) · pl schować (to hide, put out of sight) · mi whakarehurehu (to darken, make faint) · pl ukryć (to hide, put out of sight) · fi piilottaa (to hide, put out of sight) · de vernebeln (to darken, make faint) · ru затемня́ть (to darken, make faint) · de verwirren (to darken, make faint) · fr obscurcir (to hide, put out of sight) · es obscurecer (to hide, put out of sight) · de verschleiern (to hide, put out of sight) · ru пря́тать (to hide, put out of sight) · de verbergen (to hide, put out of sight) · it oscurare (to darken, make faint) · ro obscura (to darken, make faint) · pl przesłonić (to darken, make faint) · bg затъмнявам (to darken, make faint) · de verunklaren (to darken, make faint) · bg помрачавам (to darken, make faint) · pl zaciemnić (to darken, make faint) · ru скрыва́ть (to hide, put out of sight) · it offuscare (to darken, make faint) · ro oculta (to hide, put out of sight) · la caecō (to hide, put out of sight) · ro întuneca (to darken, make faint) · es esconder (to hide, put out of sight) · fi hämärtää (to darken, make faint) · fr obscurcir (to darken, make faint) · es asconder (to hide, put out of sight) · ro ascunde (to hide, put out of sight) · es obscurecer (to darken, make faint) · de verdunkeln (to darken, make faint)