obscure

[ uhb-skyoor ]

/ əbˈskyʊər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR obscure ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, ob·scur·er, ob·scur·est.

(of meaning) not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain: an obscure sentence in the contract.

not clear to the understanding; hard to perceive: obscure motivations.

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

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

inconspicuous or unnoticeable: the obscure beginnings of a great movement.

of little or no prominence, note, fame, or distinction: an obscure French artist.

far from public notice, worldly affairs, or important activities; remote; retired: an obscure little town.

lacking in light or illumination; dark; dim; murky: an obscure back room.

enveloped in, concealed by, or frequenting darkness.

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

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

verb (used with object), ob·scured, ob·scur·ing.

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

to make dark, dim, indistinct, etc.

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

noun

obscurity.

Origin of obscure

1350–1400; Middle English < Old French oscur, obscur < Latin obscūrus dark

SYNONYMS FOR obscure

1 doubtful, dubious.

4 blurred, veiled.

6 undistinguished, unnoted, unknown.

7 secluded, inconspicuous, unnoticeable, unnoticed.

8 cloudy, dusky, somber.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR obscure ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR obscure

1 certain.

4 clear.

6 noted.

7 conspicuous.

8 bright.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR obscure ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for obscure

1. See mysterious. 8. See dark.

OTHER WORDS FROM obscure

ob·scur·ed·ly

[uhb-skyoor-id-lee] /əbˈskyʊər ɪd li/, ob·scure·ly, adverb ob·scure·ness, noun sub·ob·scure, adjective sub·ob·scure·ly, adverb

sub·ob·scure·ness, noun un·ob·scure, adjective un·ob·scure·ly, adverb un·ob·scure·ness, noun un·ob·scured, adjective

Words nearby obscure

obscene, obscenity, obscurant, obscurantism, obscuration, obscure, obscurity, obscurum per obscurius, obsecrate, obsequence, obsequent

Example sentences from the Web for obscured

A tugboat improbably sits high on the bank, obscured by tall grass, a broken oil rig hangs over the water nearby.

The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway |Nina Strochlic |December 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
People were singing the national anthem as the whole front of the National Palace was obscured by a smoke cloud.

Mexican Protesters Look to Start a New Revolution |Jason McGahan |November 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He was captivated by footage of her escape through the hazy entryway of the supermarket, which was obscured by pepper spray.

Westgate's Chilling Security Video Reveals Shopping Mall Bloodbath |Nina Strochlic |September 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The officers covered the peephole so that their faces would be obscured, and Taravati opened the door.

‘Happy’ Dancers Arrested, Abused in Iran |Shima Sharabi |May 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

The scenes of penetration are obscured with masking or blurring.

Japan’s Desperate Housewives Opting for Adulterous Online Dating |Angela Erika Kubo, Jake Adelstein |April 2, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But Gudel's pale face was obscured by a mocking though sweet face, which flitted between him and all else.

The Son of Monte Christo |Jules Lermina
The sky was obscured with clouds and one of those tropical hurricanes called squalls swept over the island and sea.

The Real America in Romance, Volume 6; |John R. Musick
With the back of his hand he pushed up the unkempt hair which obscured his eyes.

Barlasch of the Guard |H. S. Merriman
She saluted him modestly, and without a word turned round and "obscured her face as not seeming well contented."

Heroines That Every Child Should Know |Various
The flood in 1951 reduced the population of voles and obscured the normal seasonal trends.

A Population Study of the Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster) in Northeastern Kansas |Edwin P. Martin

British Dictionary definitions for obscured

obscure

/ (əbˈskjʊə) /

adjective

unclear or abstruse

indistinct, vague, or indefinite

inconspicuous or unimportant

hidden, secret, or remote

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

gloomy, dark, clouded, or dim

verb (tr)

to make unclear, vague, or hidden

to cover or cloud over

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

noun

a rare word for obscurity

Derived forms of obscure

obscuration (ˌɒbskjʊˈreɪʃən), noun obscurely, adverb obscureness, noun

Word Origin for obscure

C14: via Old French from Latin obscūrus dark

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

obscure

adjective, ob·scur·er, ob·scur·est.

verb (used with object), ob·scured, ob·scur·ing.

noun

Origin of obscure

SYNONYMS FOR obscure

ANTONYMS FOR obscure

synonym study for obscure

OTHER WORDS FROM obscure

Words nearby obscure

Example sentences from the Web for obscured

British Dictionary definitions for obscured

adjective

verb (tr)

noun

Derived forms of obscure

Word Origin for obscure

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

obscure

adjective, ob·scur·er, ob·scur·est.

verb (used with object), ob·scured, ob·scur·ing.

noun

Origin of obscure

SYNONYMS FOR obscure

ANTONYMS FOR obscure

synonym study for obscure

OTHER WORDS FROM obscure

Words nearby obscure

Words related to obscured

Example sentences from the Web for obscured

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for obscured

adjective

verb (tr)

noun

Derived forms of obscure

Word Origin for obscure

British Dictionary definitions for obscured