Obscure
WordNet

adjective


(1)   Not clearly understood or expressed
"An obscure turn of phrase"
"An impulse to go off and fight certain obscure battles of his own spirit"-Anatole Broyard
"Their descriptions of human behavior become vague, dull, and unclear"- P.A.Sorokin
"Vague...forms of speech...have so long passed for mysteries of science"- John Locke
(2)   Marked by difficulty of style or expression
"Much that was dark is now quite clear to me"
"Those who do not appreciate Kafka's work say his style is obscure"
(3)   Remote and separate physically or socially
"Existed over the centuries as a world apart"
"Preserved because they inhabited a place apart"- W.H.Hudson
"Tiny isolated villages remote from centers of civilization"
"An obscure village"
(4)   Not drawing attention
"An unnoticeable cigarette burn on the carpet"
"An obscure flaw"
(5)   Not famous or acclaimed
"An obscure family"
"Unsung heroes of the war"
(6)   Difficult to find
"Hidden valleys"
"A hidden cave"
"An obscure retreat"

verb


(7)   Make obscure or unclear
"The distinction was obscured"
(8)   Make difficult to perceive by sight
"The foliage of the huge tree obscures the view of the lake"
(9)   Make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing
"A hidden message"
"A veiled threat"
(10)   Make unclear, indistinct, or blurred
"Her remarks confused the debate"
"Their words obnubilate their intentions"
(11)   Make less visible or unclear
"The stars are obscured by the clouds"
WiktionaryText

Etymology


< < , probably < + < root , seen also in ; see scutum, sky.

Adjective



  1. Dark, faint or indistinct.
    • "I found myself in an obscure wood . ." Dante, Inferno,1,1-2
  2. Hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous,
  3. Difficult to understand.

Usage notes

  • The comparative obscurer and superlative obscurest, though formed by valid rules for English, are less common than more obscure and most obscure.

Verb



  1. To darken, make faint etc.
  2. To hide, put out of sight etc.
    • "I realized that the purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure poor reasoning, and inhibit clarity." Bill Watterson, Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat page 62
 
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