Obscure — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb noun /äb-ˈskyu̇r/ ob·scure

Meaning & Definition of Obscure

Obscure (adjective)

  1. dark, dim
  2. shrouded in or hidden by darkness
  3. not clearly seen or easily distinguished, faint

Obscure (verb)

  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\

Obscure (noun)

  1. obscurity

Obscure (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning

    "a fantasy writer who likes to put lots of obscure references and images in her tales of wizards and warlocks"

    similar: ambiguous, arcane, cryptic, dark, deep, Delphic, double-edged, elliptical, enigmatic, equivocal, fuliginous, inscrutable, murky, mysterious, mystic, nebulous, occult, opaque
    related: abstruse, esoteric, recondite, cloaked, concealed, disguised, masked, shrouded, beclouded, bedimmed, befogged, clouded, cloudy, dim, faint, foggy, fuzzy, hazy, indistinct, indistinguishable, misty, muddy, obfuscatory, obnubilated, obscurant, shaded, shadowlike, shadowy, sphinxlike, indefinite, inexact, inexplicit, noncommittal, questionable, unclear, uncertain, undefined, undetermined, vague, impenetrable, incomprehensible, indecipherable, inexplicable, eerie, uncanny, weird, impalpable, inappreciable, intangible, invisible, unanswerable, unknowable, baffling, bewildering, confounding, confusing, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling, unfathomable, circuitous, indirect, roundabout, complex, complicated, difficult, obtuse
    opposite: accessible, clear, nonambiguous, obvious, plain, unambiguous, unequivocal
    near: 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

  2. not widely known

    "he's an obscure artist now, but he's sure to be famous someday"

    similar: nameless, no-name, noteless, uncelebrated, unfamous, unknown, unrecognized, unsung
    related: insignificant, minor, unimportant, undistinguished, unexceptional, unremarkable, unpopular, anonymous, faceless, unnoticeable, unrecognizable, unnewsworthy, unnoticed, forgotten, unremembered
    opposite: celebrated, famed, famous, noted, notorious, prominent, renowned, well-known
    near: fabled, fabulous, legendary, infamous, distinguished, eminent, exceptional, great, illustrious, notable, outstanding, prestigious, remarkable, estimable, honorable, reputable, respectable, important, influential, leading, major, newsworthy, noteworthy, significant, favorite, popular, preferred

  3. being without light or without much light

    "hid in an obscure spot among the trees"

    similar: black, caliginous, dark, darkened, darkish, darkling, darksome, dim, dimmed, dusk, dusky, gloomy, lightless, murky, obscured, pitch-black, pitch-dark, pitchy, rayless, somber, stygian, tenebrific, tenebrous, unlit
    related: crepuscular, twilit, moonless, starless, sunless, cloudy, dull, dulled, lackluster, shadowlike, shadowy, shady, gray, leaden, pale, beclouded, befogged, clouded, foggy, fuliginous, misty, smoggy, soupy
    opposite: bright, brightened, brilliant, illuminated, illumined, light, lit, lightsome, lucent, lucid, luminous
    near: ablaze, agleam, aglitter, alight, beaming, beamy, effulgent, glaring, glowing, incandescent, lambent, radiant, relucent, resplendent, shining, sparkling, ultrabright, glossy, lustrous, shiny, floodlit, highlighted, spotlighted, moonlit, moony, starlit, sunlit

  4. not seen or understood clearly

    "a distinction so obscure that only the experts can really see it"

    similar: blear, bleary, blurry, dim, faint, foggy, fuzzy, gauzy, hazy, indefinite, indistinct, indistinguishable, misty, murky, nebulous, opaque, pale, shadowy, unclear, undefined, undetermined, vague
    related: dark, dusky, gloomy, impalpable, inappreciable, intangible, invisible, hieroglyphic, incomprehensible, indecipherable, indiscernible, inexplicable, mysterious, obfuscatory, puzzling
    opposite: clear, definite, pellucid
    near: bright, distinct, evident, obvious, plain, certain, firm, strong, sure

Obscure (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to keep secret or shut off from view

    "the investigative reporters obscured their real motives for visiting the company by pretending the story was about something else"

    similar: belie, blanket, blot out, cloak, conceal, cover, curtain, disguise, enshroud, hide, mask, occult, paper over, screen, shroud, suppress, veil
    related: bury, camouflage, cover (up), smother, gild, gloss (over), varnish, whitewash, becloud, bedim, befog, block, cloud, darken, eclipse, obstruct, occlude, overcast, overshadow, shade
    opposite: bare, disclose, display, divulge, expose, reveal, show, uncloak, uncover, unmask, unveil
    near: bring out, present, clarify, illuminate, advertise, air, broadcast, get out, proclaim, publicize, publish, spread

  2. to make dark, dim, or indistinct

    "when it isn't obscured by smog, the view of the city from the observatory can be spectacular"

    similar: becloud, bedim, befog, blacken, blear, blur, cloud, darken, dim, dislimn, fog, fuzz (up), haze, mist, overcast, overcloud, overshadow, shadow, shroud
    related: adumbrate, blot out, conceal, eclipse, hide, obliterate, screen, shade, camouflage, cloak, cover, curtain, disguise, mask, veil
    opposite: brighten, illuminate, illumine, light (up), lighten
    near: expose, reveal, uncover, unveil

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Obscure

The most common words with a similar meaning to Obscure:

ambiguous, arcane, cryptic, dark, deep, Delphic, double-edged, elliptical, enigmatic, equivocal, fuliginous, inscrutable, murky, mysterious, mystic, nebulous, occult, opaque, nameless, no-name, noteless, uncelebrated, unfamous, unknown, unrecognized, unsung, black, caliginous, darkened, darkish, darkling, darksome, dim, dimmed, dusk, dusky, gloomy, lightless, obscured, pitch-black

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Obscure

Words with the opposite meaning of Obscure:

accessible, clear, nonambiguous, obvious, plain, unambiguous, unequivocal, celebrated, famed, famous, noted, notorious, prominent, renowned, well-known, bright, brightened, brilliant, illuminated, illumined, light, lit, lightsome, lucent, lucid, luminous, definite, pellucid, bare, disclose

Related Words for Obscure

abstruse, esoteric, recondite, cloaked, concealed, disguised, masked, shrouded, beclouded, bedimmed, befogged, clouded, cloudy, muddy, obfuscatory, obnubilated, obscurant, shaded, shadowlike, sphinxlike, inexact, inexplicit, noncommittal, questionable, uncertain, impenetrable, incomprehensible, indecipherable, inexplicable, eerie

Near Antonyms of Obscure

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

Word Forms of Obscure

Inflections: obscured, obscuring

Derived words: obscurely (adverb), obscureness (noun), obscuration (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Obscure

Middle English, "dark, unenlightened, incomprehensible," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French oscur, obscur "dark, dull, enigmatic," borrowed from Latin obscūrus "dim, dark, appearing faintly, imperfectly known, concealed from knowledge, incomprehensible," of uncertain origin

First known use: 15th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Obscure

What does "Obscure" mean?

"Obscure" means dark, dim. As an an adjective, a verb and a noun, it is defined as: dark, dim. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Obscure"?

Other words for "Obscure" include ambiguous, arcane, cryptic, dark, deep, Delphic, double-edged and elliptical. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Obscure" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Obscure"?

There are 196 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Obscure". Common alternatives include ambiguous, arcane, cryptic, dark, deep, Delphic, double-edged, elliptical, enigmatic and equivocal.

What is the opposite of "Obscure"?

Antonyms of "Obscure" include accessible, clear, nonambiguous, obvious, plain, unambiguous, unequivocal and celebrated. Near antonyms include comprehensible, fathomable, intelligible and knowable.

How do you use "Obscure" in a sentence?

Examples of "Obscure" in a sentence: "a fantasy writer who likes to put lots of obscure references and images in her tales of wizards and warlocks"; "he's an obscure artist now, but he's sure to be famous someday"; "hid in an obscure spot among the trees".

Is "Obscure" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Obscure" can be used as an adjective, a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Obscure"?

"Obscure" is pronounced /äb-ˈskyu̇r/ and divided into syllables as ob·scure.

What is the origin of the word "Obscure"?

"Obscure" comes from Middle English, "dark, unenlightened, incomprehensible," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French oscur, obscur "dark, dull, enigmatic," borrowed from Latin obscūrus "dim, dark, appearing faintly, imperfectly known, concealed from knowledge, incomprehensible," of uncertain origin. First known use: 15th century.