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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).

noun

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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Derived Forms

  • obscuration, noun
  • DzˈܰԱ, noun
  • Dzˈܰ, adverb
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Other Word Forms

  • Dz·ܰ·· [uh, b-, skyoor, -id-lee], Dz·ܰ· adverb
  • Dz·ܰ·Ա noun
  • ܲ·Dz·ܰ adjective
  • sub·Dz·ܰ·Ա noun
  • ܲ·Dz·ܰ adjective
  • un·Dz·ܰ·Ա noun
  • ܲ·Dz·ܰd adjective
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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.

Then there are the truly obscure offences - like a parent ignoring a school attendance order, applying for a driver's licence when banned or littering in a zoo.

From

Their archives, as Pember reports, are often inaccessible; a bureaucratic fog obscures much of the record.

From

Overnight Easter Sunday into Easter Monday, low pressure will bring cloud and rain to many areas, which will obscure the view at times.

From

The large earthquake fault close to the one that moved Monday morning in the mountains of San Diego County, however, is comparatively obscure.

From

There was also a "calculated attempt to bypass security systems" by obscuring the contents of the tubes.

From

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