Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Not clearly seen or understood; vague or ambiguous: Refers to something that is not easily perceived, understood, or expressed clearly.
   • Not well-known; not famous or prominent: Describes a person, place, or thing that is not famous or widely recognized.
   • Dark, dim, or hidden from view: Describes something that is physically concealed or in shadow.

2. Verb:

   • To make something unclear, vague, or difficult to understand: The act of rendering something less distinct or comprehensible.
   • To conceal or hide something from view: The act of physically blocking sight or making something hard to see.
   • To make something less prominent or well-known: The act of diminishing the fame or recognition of something.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The meaning of the ancient text was obscure. (The text's meaning was not clear.)
  • He was an obscure poet from the 18th century. (The poet was not famous.)
  • The path was obscure in the fog. (The path was hard to see.)

• Verb:

  • Complex jargon can obscure the main point of an argument. (Jargon can make the point unclear.)
  • The tall building obscured our view of the mountains. (The building blocked the view.)
  • His later work was obscured by his early, more famous novels. (His later work was made less prominent.)

Advanced Usage

• "To remain obscure": to stay unknown or unnoticed.

  • The details of the incident remain obscure. (The details are still not known.)

• "An obscure reference": a mention or allusion that is not easily understood by most people.

  • The article was full of obscure references to medieval philosophy. (The references were difficult for general readers to understand.)

Variants and Related Words

• Obscurity (n): The state of being unknown, inconspicuous, or unclear.
  • The artist lived and died in obscurity. (The artist was not famous.)
• Obscurely (adv): In a way that is not clear or plain.
  • He hinted obscurely at future changes. (He hinted in a vague way.)

Synonyms

• Adjective: Vague, ambiguous, cryptic, unclear, unknown, unrecognized, hidden, concealed.
• Verb: Conceal, hide, veil, cloud, blur, confuse, overshadow.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

(Note: "Obscure" is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meanings are typically expressed directly.)

Related Idioms

• "In obscure circumstances": in a situation that is not well understood or known.
  • The manuscript was discovered in obscure circumstances. (The details of its discovery are unclear.)
• "To obscure the truth": to hide or make the truth difficult to ascertain.
  • The official report seemed designed to obscure the truth. (The report seemed intended to hide the facts.)

Adjective

1. 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
2. not drawing attention
   • an unnoticeable cigarette burn on the carpet
   • an obscure flaw
3. not famous or acclaimed
   • an obscure family
   • unsung heroes of the war
4. difficult to find
   • hidden valleys
   • a hidden cave
   • an obscure retreat
5. 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
6. 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

Verb

1. make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing
   • a hidden message
   • a veiled threat
2. reduce a vowel to a neutral one, such as a schwa
3. make obscure or unclear
   • The distinction was obscured
4. make unclear, indistinct, or blurred
   • Her remarks confused the debate
   • Their words obnubilate their intentions
5. make less visible or unclear
   • The stars are obscured by the clouds
   • the big elm tree obscures our view of the valley