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View synonyms for

obscure

[uhb-skyoor]

adjective

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

    an obscure sentence in the contract.

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

    an obscure little town.

    Synonyms: ,
  8. lacking in light or illumination; dark; dim; murky.

    an obscure back room.

    Synonyms: , ,
    Antonyms:
  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).

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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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 )

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a rare word for obscurity

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • obscuredly adverb
  • obscurely adverb
  • obscureness noun
  • subobscure adjective
  • subobscureness noun
  • unobscure adjective
  • unobscureness noun
  • unobscured adjective
  • obscuration noun
  • DzˈܰԱ noun
  • Dzˈܰ adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of obscure1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French oscur, obscur, from Latin Dzūܲ “d”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of obscure1

C14: via Old French from Latin Dzūܲ dark
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Synonym Study

See mysterious. See dark.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

DOGE’s secrecy has been part of its overall strategy, some experts believe, allowing it to obscure its work from government watchdogs and the courts.

From

It proceeds to descend and becomes obscured by trees and buildings, before a large explosion appears on the horizon.

From

But other elements could take much longer to play out: for example, an obscure budget in a particular department that was culled, only for an outcry in six months time.

From

The rookie artists waxed it at an obscure recording studio at their own expense.

From

The Tony Awards honored those actors who embraced the immediacy of the theatrical experience and offered us varieties of performance styles that would be hard to find even in the more obscure reaches of Netflix.

From

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