1
as in ambiguity
the quality or state of having a veiled or uncertain meaning
the 16th-century astrologer's predictions are so filled with obscurity that people can interpret them any way they want
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2
as in oblivion
the quality or state of being mostly or completely unknown
the singer languished in relative obscurity for years before becoming famous
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3
as in mysteriousness
the quality or state of being impossible to know, understand, or explain
her novels were favored by gullible critics who confuse obscurity with profundity
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscurity
Some have been completely worn down with obscurity over time; others appear to be washed and adorned with fresh flowers on a weekly basis.
—
Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026
Social platforms reward outrage with visibility and punish restraint with obscurity.
—Joe Palaggi, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
The reasoning — defensive-minded head coach, pounce on an ascending quarterback and build through draft — offer the Miami Dolphins a pathway out of obscurity.
—Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
Fox was struck that such an important work by a major artist could be languishing in literal obscurity.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obscurity
Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026
Social platforms reward outrage with visibility and punish restraint with obscurity.
—Joe Palaggi, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
The reasoning — defensive-minded head coach, pounce on an ascending quarterback and build through draft — offer the Miami Dolphins a pathway out of obscurity.
—Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
Fox was struck that such an important work by a major artist could be languishing in literal obscurity.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obscurity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscurity
Noun
-
Cinema raises moral questions and asks us to endure ambiguity rather than resolve it prematurely.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
-
In the entrance room, a large-scale web of glass spheres suspended overhead evokes the ambiguity of safety and fear.—
Andrea Onate,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
All of this culminates in a stunning sequence set in a rundown hospital, where the majority of the ensemble returns, and is forced into further moral dilemmas under the threat of oblivion, in a race-against-the-clock finale shot in enrapturing long takes.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The phrase, part of one of Banks’s most famous ‘Ty-rade’s against contestant Tiffany Richardson in Cycle 4, has been memed into oblivion.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That intrigue and mysteriousness still rest in the canyon walls today.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The county’s silence on this issue portends an ominous outcome for west Pompano, Deerfield Beach and Coconut Creek.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The silence in opposition was also striking because northwest Indiana residents recently had literally taken to the streets to protest skyrocketing utility bills.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Diagne was originally from Senegal, according to multiple people briefed on the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Her children’s friends either called Lilian by her name or treated her as an accessory of anonymity.—
Yiyun Li,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obscurity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscurity. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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