OBSCURE

obscure, vague

(adjective) not clearly expressed or understood; “an obscure turn of phrase”; “an impulse to go off and fight certain obscure battles of his own spirit”-Anatole Broyard; “their descriptions of human behavior become vague, dull, and unclear”- P.A.Sorokin; “vague...forms of speech...have so long passed for mysteries of science”- John Locke

dark, obscure

(adjective) marked by difficulty of style or expression; “much that was dark is now quite clear to me”; “those who do not appreciate Kafka’s work say his style is obscure”

isolated, apart(p), obscure

(adjective) remote and separate physically or socially; “existed over the centuries as a world apart”; “preserved because they inhabited a place apart”- W.H.Hudson; “tiny isolated villages remote from centers of civilization”; “an obscure village”

obscure, unnoticeable

(adjective) not drawing attention; “an unnoticeable cigarette burn on the carpet”; “an obscure flaw”

obscure, unknown, unsung

(adjective) not famous or acclaimed; “an obscure family”; “unsung heroes of the war”

hidden, obscure

(adjective) difficult to find; “hidden valleys”; “a hidden cave”; “an obscure retreat”

obscure, bedim, overcloud

(verb) make obscure or unclear; “The distinction was obscured”

obscure, blot out, obliterate, veil, hide

(verb) make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing; “a hidden message”; “a veiled threat”

obscure

(verb) reduce a vowel to a neutral one, such as a schwa

confuse, blur, obscure, obnubilate

(verb) make unclear, indistinct, or blurred; “Her remarks confused the debate”; “Their words obnubilate their intentions”

obscure, befog, becloud, obnubilate, haze over, fog, cloud, mist

(verb) make less visible or unclear; “The stars are obscured by the clouds”; “the big elm tree obscures our view of the valley”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Adjective

obscure (comparative obscurer or more obscure, superlative obscurest or most obscure)

Dark, faint or indistinct.

Hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous.

Difficult to understand.

Not well-known.

Unknown or uncertain; unclear.

Usage notes

• The comparative obscurer and superlative obscurest, though formed by valid rules for English, are less common than more obscure and most obscure.

Synonyms

• (dark): cimmerian, dingy; See also dark

• (faint or indistinct): fuzzy, ill-defined; See also indistinct

• (hidden, out of sight): occluded, secluded; See also hidden

• (difficult to understand): fathomless, inscrutable; See also incomprehensible

• (not well-known): enigmatic, esoteric, mysterious; See also arcane

Antonyms

• clear

Verb

obscure (third-person singular simple present obscures, present participle obscuring, simple past and past participle obscured)

(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.

(transitive) To hide, put out of sight etc.

(intransitive, obsolete) To conceal oneself; to hide.

Synonyms

• (to render obscure; to darken; dim): becloud, bedarken, bedim, bemist

Anagrams

• Cuberos

Source: Wiktionary

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Ob*scure", a. [Compar. Obscurer; superl. Obscurest.] Etym: [L. obscurus, orig., covered; ob- (see Ob-) + a root probably meaning, to cover; cf. L. scutum shield, Skr. sku to cover: cf.F. obscur. Cf.Sky.]

1. Covered over, shaded, or darkened; destitute of light; imperfectly illuminated; dusky; dim. His lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. Prov. xx. 20.

2. Of or pertaining to darkness or night; inconspicuous to the sight; indistinctly seen; hidden; retired; remote from observation; unnoticed. The obscure bird Clamored the livelong night. Shak. The obscure corners of the earth. Sir J. Davies.

3. Not noticeable; humble; mean. "O base and obscure vulgar." Shak. "An obscure person." Atterbury.

4. Not easily understood; not clear or legible; abstruse or blind; as, an obscure passage or inscription.

5. Not clear, full, or distinct; clouded; imperfect; as, an obscure view of remote objects. Obscure rays (Opt.), those rays which are not luminous or visible, and which in the spectrum are beyond the limits of the visible portion.

Syn.

– Dark; dim; darksome; dusky; shadowy; misty; abstruse; intricate; difficult; mysterious; retired; unnoticed; unknown; humble; mean; indistinct.

Ob*scure", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Obscured; p. pr. & vb. n. Obscuring.] Etym: [L. obscurare, fr. obscurus: cf. OF. obscurer. See Obscure, a.]

Definition: 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. They are all couched in a pit hard by Herne's oak, with obscured lights. Shak. Why, 't is an office of discovery, love, And I should be obscured. Shak. There is scarce any duty which has been so obscured by the writings of learned men as this. Wake. And seest not sin obscures thy godlike frame Dryden.

Ob*scure", v. i.

Definition: To conceal one's self; to hide; to keep dark. [Obs.] How! There's bad news. I must obscure, and hear it. Beau. & Fl.

Ob*scure", n.

Definition: Obscurity. [Obs.] Milton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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