obscure
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1ob·scure
adjective \äb-ˈskyu̇r, əb-\Definition of OBSCURE
1
2
: not readily understood or clearly expressed; also : mysterious
3
4
: constituting the unstressed vowel \ə\ or having unstressed \ə\ as its value
— ob·scure·ly adverb
— ob·scure·ness noun
See Examples of OBSCURE
- The movie is full of obscure references that only pop culture enthusiasts will understand.
- The origins of the language are obscure.
- Many people shared an obscure sense of gratification that [Dylan] Thomas had died young, as a poet should. —Adam Kirsch, New Yorker, 5 July 2004
- But by 1830 the Boston Mission Board was desperate enough that it targeted an obscure sect of Oriental Christians, the Nestorians in faraway Iran, as a possibility for conversion. —Robert D. Kaplan, The Arabists, 1993
- I knew they were special from their jeans and T-shirts, their knowing, ironic looks when obscure works of literature were referred to. —Julia Alvarez, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, 1991
- Now at last Bacon could refer when he chose to his father's high position and his father's service—and no man could say it was done for self-aggrandizement, as a son who is obscure bespeaks the glory of past forebears. —Catherine Drinker Bowen, Francis Bacon, 1963
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Origin of OBSCURE
Middle English, from Anglo-French oscur, obscur, from Latin obscurus
First Known Use: 15th century
Related to OBSCURE
- Synonyms
- ambiguous, arcane, cryptic, dark, deep, Delphic, double-edged, elliptical (or elliptic), enigmatic (also enigmatical), equivocal, fuliginous, inscrutable, murky, mysterious, mystic, nebulous, occult, opaque
- Antonyms
- accessible, clear, nonambiguous, obvious, plain, unambiguous, unequivocal
Synonym Discussion of OBSCURE
obscure, dark, vague, enigmatic, cryptic, ambiguous, equivocal mean not clearly understandable. obscure implies a hiding or veiling of meaning through some inadequacy of expression or withholding of full knowledge <obscure poems>. dark implies an imperfect or clouded revelation often with ominous or sinister suggestion <muttered dark hints of revenge>. vague implies a lack of clear formulation due to inadequate conception or consideration <a vague sense of obligation>. enigmatic stresses a puzzling, mystifying quality <enigmatic occult writings>. cryptic implies a purposely concealed meaning <cryptic hints of hidden treasure>. ambiguous applies to language capable of more than one interpretation <an ambiguous directive>. equivocal applies to language left open to differing interpretations with the intention of deceiving or evading <moral precepts with equivocal phrasing>.
Rhymes with OBSCURE
abjure, adjure, Adour, allure, amour, Ashur, assure, brochure, ceinture, cocksure, coiffure, conjure, contour, couture, demure, detour, dirt-poor, endure, ensure, faubourg, for sure, Fraktur, grandeur, gravure, guipure, hachure, immure, impure, insure, inure, kultur, land-poor, langur, ligure, manure, mature, mohur, parure, perdure, procure, rondure, secure, siddur, tambour, tandoor, tenure, Uighur, unmoor, velour, velure
2ob·scure
transitive verb \äb-ˈskyu̇r, əb-\ob·scuredob·scur·ing
Definition of OBSCURE
1
: to make dark, dim, or indistinct
2
: to conceal or hide by or as if by covering
3
: to reduce (a vowel) to the value \ə\
— ob·scu·ra·tion \ˌäb-skyu̇-ˈrā-shən\ noun
Examples of OBSCURE
- The true history has been obscured by legends about what happened.
- They accused the company of trying to obscure the fact that the product poses a health risk.
- Throughout this book, the ground of fact becomes obscured entirely by a deep layer of speculative quicksand. —Helen Vendler, New Republic, 10 June 2002
- But evening comes or even noon and some combination of nervous tensions obscures my memories of what whiskey costs me in the way of physical and intellectual well-being. —John Cheever, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 1990
- … [Mr. Schuller's]… “Early Jazz” brought a sometimes Olympian precision to writing about an art that has often languished in the whale's belly of sociology, obscured by pretension and blubbery thinking. —Stanley Crouch, New York Times Book Review, 2 Apr. 1989
- It was eight o'clock when we landed; we walked for a short time on the shore enjoying the transitory light, and then retired to the inn and contemplated the lovely scene of waters, woods, and mountains, obscured in darkness, yet still displaying their black outlines. —Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Frankenstein, 1818
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Origin of OBSCURE
(see 1obscure)
First Known Use: 15th century
3ob·scure
noun \äb-ˈskyu̇r, əb-\Definition of OBSCURE
Examples of OBSCURE
- … who shall … through the palpable obscure find out his uncouth way …? —John Milton, Paradise Lost, 1667
Origin of OBSCURE
(see 1obscure)
First Known Use: 1667
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