Obscure

Practice This Word

Not clear or easily understood; not readily noticed or known; also, to make something unclear or difficult to discern.

adjective

Obscure

Not clear or easily understood; not readily noticed or known; also, to make something unclear or difficult to discern.

adjective

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Imagine This

Imagine walking through a foggy forest where the trail disappears and distant landmarks blur; the scene is obscure, and you can’t tell which way to go.

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Sounds Like

uhb-SKYUR

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Looks Like

Visually resembles 'obscure' in spelling; shares the same root as 'obscurity'.

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Remember This

Obscure can describe something not widely known (an obscure author) or something not clearly expressed (an obscure point). The noun form is obscurity.

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Other Forms

obscuritynoun

obscuredadjective

obscuringverb

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Connect With

unclear, ambiguous, cryptic, opaque, veiled

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Note

As a verb, obscure means to hide, dim, or conceal. Do not confuse with 'obvious' or 'evident.'

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Study Deeper

Examples

The meaning of the poem was obscure to many readers.
Mist obscured the harbor, making it difficult for ships to navigate.

Synonyms

unclearvagueambiguouscrypticopaque

Antonyms

clearobviousevidentapparenttransparent

Etymology

From Latin obscurus 'dark, hidden,' via Old French obscur- and Middle English obscuren; related to making dark or concealing something.

Mnemonic

Obscure = not sure. The word looks like 'ob-' + 'sure,' reminding you that if something is obscure, you’re not sure what it means. Visualize a curtain labeled OBSCURE blocking a bright stage.

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adjective

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noun

The state of being prosperous, characterized by wealth, success, and well-being; often used to describe overall economic health or flourishing conditions in a society.