obfuscation
/,ɔbfʌs'keiʃn/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The action of making something obscure, unclear, or unintelligible: "Obfuscation" refers to the act of deliberately making something difficult to understand or see.
- The state of being confused, bewildered, or baffled: "Obfuscation" can also describe the resulting state of confusion from a failure to understand something.
Usage and Examples
- Noun:
- The politician's speech was full of obfuscation, making it hard to know his true position. (The politician's speech was deliberately unclear.)
- The legal document's obfuscation left the clients completely bewildered. (The legal document was written in a confusing way.)
- The fog caused an obfuscation of the view from the mountain. (The fog made the view unclear.)
Advanced Usage
- "Intentional obfuscation": A common phrase describing the deliberate act of making something confusing, often to hide the truth.
- The company's financial report was an exercise in intentional obfuscation.
- "To engage in obfuscation": To actively participate in making things unclear.
- The witness seemed to engage in obfuscation to avoid answering the question directly.
Variants and Related Words
- Obfuscate (verb): To make something obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.
- He tried to obfuscate the details of the contract.
- Obfuscatory (adjective): Tending to obfuscate; intended to make something unclear.
- The instructions were written in an obfuscatory manner.
Synonyms
- Bewilderment: A state of being perplexed or confused.
- Confusion: Lack of understanding; uncertainty.
- Mystification: The state of being very confused or puzzled.
- Perplexity: Inability to deal with or understand something complicated.
Antonyms
- Clarity: The quality of being clear and easy to understand.
- Explanation: A statement that makes something clear.
- Elucidation: Explanation that makes something clear; clarification.
- Transparency: The condition of being easy to perceive or detect.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- "A fog of obfuscation": A situation characterized by extreme confusion and lack of clarity.
- The debate was shrouded in a fog of obfuscation.
- "To cut through the obfuscation": To simplify or clarify a confusing situation.
- A good teacher can cut through the obfuscation and explain complex ideas simply.
Noun
- darkening or obscuring the sight of something
- the activity of obscuring people's understanding, leaving them baffled or bewildered
- confusion resulting from failure to understand