Obscure

Not well-known or difficult to understand; unclear or vague., To conceal or make less visible; to hide or obscure from view., To make something less noticeable or prominent; to overshadow or diminish the importance of., To darken or make dim; to make less bright or distinct.

Obscure - Meanings

Not well-known or difficult to understand; unclear or vague.

Example: The meaning of the ancient text was obscure to most readers.

Usage: formalContext: academic discussions, literary analysis

Note: Often used in intellectual or scholarly contexts to describe something that is not easily understood or known.

To conceal or make less visible; to hide or obscure from view.

Example: The dense fog obscured the view of the mountains.

Usage: formalContext: describing weather conditions, visual obstruction

Note: Commonly used in descriptions of physical obstructions or conditions that hinder clear visibility.

To make something less noticeable or prominent; to overshadow or diminish the importance of.

Example: The scandal obscured the politician's previous achievements.

Usage: formalContext: discussing reputation, impact of events

Note: Used when discussing how one thing can overshadow or diminish the significance of another.

To darken or make dim; to make less bright or distinct.

Example: The storm clouds obscured the sun, casting a shadow over the landscape.

Usage: formalContext: describing weather conditions, visual effects

Note: Often used in descriptions of natural phenomena affecting visibility or brightness.

Obscure's synonyms

Not clear or easily understood.

Example: The meaning of the ancient text was obscure and difficult to decipher.

Note:

ambiguous

Open to more than one interpretation; not easily understood or explained.

Example: Her response was ambiguous, leaving us unsure of her intentions.

Note: Ambiguous implies a lack of clarity or definiteness, while obscure suggests a lack of clearness or transparency.

vague

Not clearly or explicitly stated or expressed.

Example: The instructions were vague, leading to confusion among the team members.

Note: Vague refers to something that is not clearly defined or expressed, while obscure implies a lack of clarity or understanding.

cryptic

Having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure.

Example: The message he left was cryptic, leaving us puzzled about its meaning.

Note: Cryptic often implies intentional concealment or a hidden meaning, while obscure can simply mean not easily understood.

enigmatic

Difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious.

Example: The artist's enigmatic smile in the painting intrigued viewers.

Note: Enigmatic suggests a sense of mystery or puzzlement, often associated with a person or thing that is puzzling or perplexing.

Obscure expressions, common phrases

In the dark

To be uninformed or lacking knowledge about something.

Example: I feel like I'm in the dark about what's really going on in the company.

Note: This phrase emphasizes a lack of information rather than just something being unclear or unknown.

Keep someone in the dark

To intentionally not inform someone about something.

Example: They kept me in the dark about their plans until the last minute.

Note: It implies deliberately withholding information from someone.

Muddied waters

To make a situation more confusing or obscure.

Example: The scandal has muddied the waters of the political landscape.

Note: It suggests making something unclear or confusing rather than just being unknown.

Clouded in mystery

To be unclear or obscure due to a sense of mystery surrounding it.

Example: The disappearance of the artifact is clouded in mystery.

Note: It implies a deep sense of mystery and intrigue, making something more enigmatic.

Shrouded in secrecy

To be concealed or hidden from public view.

Example: The government's decision-making process is often shrouded in secrecy.

Note: It emphasizes deliberate concealment or hiding of information.

Cloaked in ambiguity

To be intentionally unclear or vague in meaning.

Example: The artist's latest work is cloaked in ambiguity, leaving viewers to interpret its meaning.

Note: It focuses on intentional vagueness or ambiguity rather than just something being unknown.

A fog of uncertainty

To be surrounded by a sense of doubt or unclear outcomes.

Example: The future of the project is shrouded in a fog of uncertainty.

Note: It conveys a feeling of doubt and lack of clarity, creating an unclear situation.

Obscure everyday (slang) expressions

Fuzzy

When something is unclear or indistinct, lacking in clarity or precision.

Example: The details are a bit fuzzy, but I think we can figure it out.

Note: Refers to a lack of clarity, unlike 'obscure' which emphasizes being unknown or unfamiliar.

Hazy

Indistinct or vague, not clearly remembered or understood.

Example: Her memory of the event is hazy; she can't remember the details clearly.

Note: Focuses on a lack of clarity or memory rather than something being intentionally concealed.

Murky

Clouded or unclear, filled with confusion or uncertainty.

Example: The situation is getting even more murky with conflicting information.

Note: Suggests a state of confusion or ambiguity, different from 'obscure' which implies being hidden or unknown.

Evasive

Deliberately avoiding giving direct answers, being elusive or elusive.

Example: His responses were evasive, avoiding direct answers to the questions.

Note: Refers to avoiding something directly, unlike 'obscure' which implies something being difficult to understand or unknown.

Obscure - Examples

The meaning of the ancient text remains obscure.

The obscure alleyway led to a hidden courtyard.

The origins of the mysterious artifact are still unknown.

Obscure grammar

Obscure - Verb (Verb) / Verb, base form (Verb, base form)

Lemma: obscure

Conjugations

Adjective (Adjective): obscure

Verb, past tense (Verb, past tense): obscured

Verb, gerund or present participle (Verb, gerund or present participle): obscuring

Verb, 3rd person singular present (Verb, 3rd person singular present): obscures

Verb, base form (Verb, base form): obscure

Verb, non-3rd person singular present (Verb, non-3rd person singular present): obscure

Syllabification and Stress

obscure Contains 2 syllables: ob • scure

Phonetic transcription: äb-ˈskyu̇r

ob scure , äb ˈskyu̇r (The red syllable is stressed)

Obscure - Importance and usage frequency

The word frequency and importance index indicates how often a word appears in a given language. The smaller the number, the more frequently the word is used. The most frequently used words typically range from about 1 to 4000.

obscure: ~ 3800 (Common).

This importance index helps you focus on the most useful words during your language learning process.

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