obscure

adjective ob·scure \ äb-ˈskyu̇r , əb- \

Definition of obscure

1 a :dark, dim

the obscure dusk of the shuttered room

b :shrouded in or hidden by darkness

standing obscure in the deepest shade

c :not clearly seen or easily distinguished :faint

obscure markings

2 :not readily understood or clearly expressed; also :mysterious

a slough of pretentious and obscure jargon
—Philip Howard

3 :relatively unknown: such as

a :remote, secluded

an obscure village

b :not prominent or famous

an obscure poet

4 :constituting the unstressed vowel \ə\ or having unstressed \ə\ as its value

—

obscurely

adverb

—

obscureness

noun

See obscure defined for English-language learners

See obscure defined for kids

Examples of obscure in a Sentence

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
The movie is full of obscure references that only pop culture enthusiasts will understand.
The origins of the language are obscure.

Recent Examples of obscure from the Web

It is led by two Republicans and consists of seven Republicans (four of them prominent proponents of the voter-fraud story, such as Hans von Spakovsky, a lawyer) and five hitherto obscure Democrats.

— The Economist, "The voter-fraud commission relies on some really dodgy studies," 20 July 2017
Some obscure Uniqlo collab only available in Europe?

— diana tsui, The Cut, "The Very Preppy Skirt That Won Over This Summer Goth," 18 July 2017
But fear not, oh rabid sports fans. Skillets — formerly a BFF Asian Grill & Sports Bar — provides plenty of flat screens for cheering on all manner of sports events, from the obscure to the downright depressing: the latest Rangers loss.

— andrew marton, star-telegram.com, "Skillets Kitchen & Sports Bar gets a handle on healthier food," 5 July 2017
The government has generally not publicized how disruptive the hiatus at Los Alamos has been, although telltale data appear in obscure reports by the National Nuclear Security Administration.

— r. jeffrey smith, Science | AAAS, "Safety problems at a Los Alamos laboratory," 30 June 2017
A plot to whitewash data and obscure animal deaths?

— douglas hanks, miamiherald, "Miami-Dade’s animal shelter did not burn dogs alive. Probe dismisses conspiracy theories.," 28 June 2017
WORTH NOTING Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury tied Pete Rose's obscure record for reaching base the most times in a career on catcher's interference.

— john jackson, courant.com, "Abreu Helps White Sox Rally For 4-3 Win Over Yankees," 28 June 2017
Last June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Texas’s House Bill 2 (HB2), a 2013 law holding abortion clinics to certain obscure medical standards, was unconstitutional.

— claire landsbaum, The Cut, "Here’s Why Texas Abortion Clinics Are Still Struggling to Reopen," 27 June 2017
Sanchez has a habit of tying or beating records set by obscure players.

— jeremy fuchs, SI.com, "Three Strikes: Rare sweep in Cleveland thrusts Twins back atop AL Central," 25 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'obscure.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of obscure

Middle English, from Anglo-French oscur, obscur, from Latin obscurus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

obscure Synonyms

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

Near Antonyms

comprehensible, fathomable, intelligible, knowable, legible, pellucid, understandable; bright, distinct, evident, self-evident, self-explanatory; certain, firm, strong, sure; defined, determined; direct, straightforward; definite, exact, explicit; appreciable, palpable, tangible, visible; blatant, patent, unmistakable

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

obscure

verb ob·scure \ äb-ˈskyu̇r , əb- \

Definition of obscure

obscured; obscuring

transitive verb

1 :to make dark, dim, or indistinct

The soot on the lampshade obscured the light.

2 :to conceal or hide by or as if by covering

… snow on glaciers can obscure deep crevasses.
—Tom Simon

3 :to reduce (a vowel) to the value \ə\

—

obscuration

play \ˌäb-skyu̇-ˈrā-shən\ noun

See obscure defined for English-language learners

Examples of obscure in a Sentence

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
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.

Recent Examples of obscure from the Web

Kylie covered up her ensemble and obscured her face from the paparazzi with a zebra striped throw blanket.

— emily kirkpatrick, PEOPLE.com, "Kylie Jenner Covers Up Her N.W.A. Top Amidst Vintage Rap T-Shirt Controversy," 5 July 2017
Coats came sleeveless or had long arms that obscured the hands.

— thomas adamson, The Seattle Times, "Louis Vuitton channels escapism at sweltering Paris menswear," 22 June 2017
Such hopes were dashed, however, because thin clouds covered the sun during the critical moments, obscuring faint background stars in its vicinity.

— OrlandoSentinel.com, "I watched a total eclipse of the sun. You don't want to miss the next one.," 21 June 2017
Clark said that can often be difficult because riders obscure their faces with masks.

— kathleen mcwilliams, Courant Community, "Newington Police: Record And Report ATV Riders," 14 June 2017
Opening a door The pageantry and drama of Saturday’s Bass Hall awards ceremony tends to obscure the Cliburn’s ultimate purpose.

— tim madigan, star-telegram.com, "What does it all mean? Past Cliburn medalists still flourishing," 9 June 2017
Both sides accuse the other of obscuring facts and spreading misinformation.

— sven berg, idahostatesman, "Boise defends Gowen, F-35 advocacy as critics claim conflict of interest," 2 June 2017
This month, city workers will finally begin the installation of a new barrier, a grey netting that will blend into the water without obscuring the view.

— erin blakemore, Longreads, "Between Life and Death, There’s San Francisco: A Reading List," 28 May 2017
But at least hiding the hypocrisy in the common ownership of a parent company also obscures it from the consumer’s view.

— ian bogost, The Atlantic, "How Dove Ruined Its Body Image," 9 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of obscure

see ¹obscure

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

obscure Synonyms

Synonyms

belie, blanket, blot out, cloak, conceal, cover, curtain, disguise, enshroud, mask, ¹hide, occult, paper over, screen, shroud, suppress, veil

Antonyms

bare, disclose, display, divulge, expose, reveal, show, uncloak, uncover, unmask, unveil

Related Words

bury, camouflage, cover (up), smother; gild, gloss (over), varnish, whitewash; becloud, bedim, befog, block, cloud, darken, eclipse, obstruct, occlude, overcast, overshadow, shade

Near Antonyms

bring out, present; clarify, illuminate; advertise, air, broadcast, get out, proclaim, publicize, publish, spread

obscure

noun ob·scure \ äb-ˈskyu̇r , əb- \

Definition of obscure

:obscurity

Examples of obscure in a Sentence

… who shall … through the palpable obscure find out his uncouth way … ? —John Milton, Paradise Lost, 1667

Recent Examples of obscure from the Web

Kentucky constable has remained an obscure, sometimes lampooned position.

— scott wartman, Cincinnati.com, "NKY Notebook: Lawmaker renews effort to get rid of constables," 6 July 2017
Luc Besson's Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets premieres July 21, and while this little piece of French fiction feels obscure, it's made a giant impact on science fiction for decades.

— john wenz, Popular Mechanics, "The Lasting Impact of the Little-Known French Sci-Fi Comic 'Valérian'," 5 July 2017
Obscure, but cool MK Bucyrus-Erie B3: The 1930s-era shovel owned by Morrison-Knudsen, the giant construction company started in Boise, likely dug canals in the local area.

— anna webb, idahostatesman, "Boise likes to move big stuff, and a giant tree is about to go mobile," 23 June 2017
Obscure, but cool MK Bucyrus-Erie B3: The 1930s-era shovel owned by Morrison-Knudsen, the giant construction company started in Boise, likely dug canals in the local area.

— anna webb, idahostatesman, "Boise likes to move big stuff, and a giant tree is about to go mobile," 23 June 2017
Obscure assets are the last refuge for human money managers.

— erin griffith, Fortune, "Term Sheet — Wednesday, June 21," 21 June 2017
Here, like those peek-a-boo fans wielded by the clunky kick line, the concept obscures.

— misha berson, The Seattle Times, "Review: Seattle Shakes’ ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is missing some of its magic," 12 May 2017
But the official seal of approval obscures uncomfortable realities: Most of the organizations receive no state oversight and won a spot with political clout.

— john frank, The Denver Post, "How the charities on your Colorado tax form used political clout, little state oversight to earn a coveted spot," 28 Feb. 2017

Origin and Etymology of obscure

see ¹obscure

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1667

See Words from the same year

OBSCURE Defined for English Language Learners

obscure

adjective

Definition of obscure for English Language Learners

: not well-known : not known to most people
: difficult to understand : likely to be understood by only a few people
: difficult or impossible to know completely and with certainty

obscure

verb

Definition of obscure for English Language Learners

: to make (something) difficult to understand or know : to make (something) obscure
: to hide or cover (something) : to be in front of (something) so that it cannot be seen

OBSCURE Defined for Kids

obscure

adjective ob·scure \ äb-ˈskyu̇r , əb- \

Definition of obscure for Students

1 :not easy to see :faint

an obscure light

2 :hidden from view

an obscure village

3 :not easily understood or clearly expressed

I struggled with an obscure chapter in the book.

4 :not outstanding or famous

It was written by an obscure poet.

obscure

verb

Definition of obscure for Students

obscured; obscuring

:to make difficult to see or understand

Clouds drifted across the sky, obscuring the thin sliver of moon.
—Brian Jacques, Redwall

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obscure

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obscuration

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obscure

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