obscure

ob·scure

 (ŏb-skyo͝or′, əb-)

adj. ob·scur·er, ob·scur·est

1. Deficient in light; dark: the obscure depths of a cave.

2.

a. So faintly perceptible as to lack clear delineation; indistinct: an obscure figure in the fog.

b. Indistinctly heard; faint.

c. Linguistics Having the reduced, neutral sound represented by schwa (ə).

3.

a. Far from centers of human population: an obscure village.

b. Out of sight; hidden: an obscure retreat.

4. Not readily noticed or seen; inconspicuous: an obscure flaw.

5. Of undistinguished or humble station or reputation: an obscure poet; an obscure family.

6. Not clearly understood or expressed; ambiguous or vague: Some say that Blake's style is obscure and complex. See Synonyms at ambiguous.

tr.v. ob·scured, ob·scur·ing, ob·scures

1. To make dim, indistinct, or impossible to see: "His face was obscured in shadow" (Rosemary Mahoney). See Synonyms at block.

2. To make difficult to discern mentally or understand: The meaning of the text was obscured by its difficult language.

3. To diminish the stature of; overshadow or detract from: "[His] character was so repellent that it has obscured his historical role" (David Rains Wallace).

4. Linguistics To reduce (a vowel) to the neutral sound represented by schwa (ə).

n.

Something obscure or unknown.

---

[Middle English, from Old French obscur, from Latin obscūrus; see (s)keu- in Indo-European roots.]

---

ob·scure′ly adv.

ob·scure′ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

obscure

(əbˈskjʊə)

adj

1. unclear or abstruse

2. indistinct, vague, or indefinite

3. inconspicuous or unimportant

4. hidden, secret, or remote

5. (Phonetics & Phonology) (of a vowel) reduced to or transformed into a neutral vowel (ə)

6. gloomy, dark, clouded, or dim

vb (tr)

7. to make unclear, vague, or hidden

8. to cover or cloud over

9. (Phonetics & Phonology) phonetics to pronounce (a vowel) with articulation that causes it to become a neutral sound represented by (ə)

n

a rare word for obscurity

[C14: via Old French from Latin obscūrus dark]

obscuration n

obˈscurely adv

obˈscureness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ob•scure

(əbˈskyʊər)

adj. -scur•er, -scur•est, adj.

1. (of meaning) not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain.

2. not clear to the understanding; hard to perceive: obscure motives.

3. (of language, style, a speaker, etc.) not expressing the meaning clearly or plainly.

4. not readily seen, heard, etc.; indistinct; faint.

5. inconspicuous or unnoticeable: the obscure beginnings of a movement.

6. of little or no prominence or distinction; unknown: an obscure artist.

7. far from public notice or activity; remote: an obscure little town.

8. lacking in light or illumination; dark; dim; murky.

9. enveloped in or concealed by darkness.

10. (of a vowel) having the reduced or neutral sound usu. represented by the schwa (ə).

v.t.

11. to conceal or confuse (meaning, intention, or the like); cover; mask.

12. to make dark, dim, indistinct, etc.

13. to reduce or neutralize (a vowel) to the sound usu. represented by a schwa (ə).

n.

14. obscurity.

[1400–50; late Middle English < Old French oscur, obscur < Latin obscūrus dark]

ob•scure′ly, adv.

ob•scure′ness, n.

syn: See mysterious.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

obscure

Past participle: obscured
Gerund: obscuring

Imperative

obscure

obscure

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	obscure - make less visible or unclear; "The stars are obscured by the clouds"; "the big elm tree obscures our view of the valley" becloud, befog, fog, haze over, obnubilate, mist, cloud conceal, hide - prevent from being seen or discovered; "Muslim women hide their faces"; "hide the money" overshadow - cast a shadow upon; "The tall tree overshadowed the house"
	2.	obscure - make unclear, indistinct, or blurred; "Her remarks confused the debate"; "Their words obnubilate their intentions" obnubilate, blur, confuse alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" confuse, confound - mistake one thing for another; "you are confusing me with the other candidate"; "I mistook her for the secretary" muddy - cause to become muddy; "These data would have muddied the prediction"
	3.	obscure - make obscure or unclear; "The distinction was obscured" bedim, overcloud alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"
	4.	obscure - reduce a vowel to a neutral one, such as a schwa linguistics - the scientific study of language reduce - destress and thus weaken a sound when pronouncing it
	5.	obscure - make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing; "a hidden message"; "a veiled threat" blot out, obliterate, veil, hide alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" efface, obliterate - remove completely from recognition or memory; "efface the memory of the time in the camps" mystify - make mysterious; "mystify the story"
Adj.	1.	obscure - 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 vague unclear - not clear to the mind; "the law itself was unclear on that point"; "the reason for their actions is unclear to this day"
	2.	obscure - 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" dark uncomprehensible, incomprehensible - difficult to understand; "the most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible"- A. Einstein
	3.	obscure - difficult to find; "hidden valleys"; "a hidden cave"; "an obscure retreat" hidden concealed - hidden on any grounds for any motive; "a concealed weapon"; "a concealed compartment in his briefcase"
	4.	obscure - not famous or acclaimed; "an obscure family"; "unsung heroes of the war" unsung, unknown inglorious - not bringing honor and glory; "some mute inglorious Milton here may rest"
	5.	obscure - not drawing attention; "an unnoticeable cigarette burn on the carpet"; "an obscure flaw" unnoticeable inconspicuous, invisible - not prominent or readily noticeable; "he pushed the string through an inconspicuous hole"; "the invisible man"
	6.	obscure - 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" apart, isolated unconnected - not joined or linked together

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

obscure

adjective

1. unknown, minor, little-known, humble, unfamiliar, out-of-the-way, unseen, lowly, unimportant, unheard-of, unsung, nameless, undistinguished, inconspicuous, unnoted, unhonoured, unrenowned The hymn was written by an obscure Greek composer.
unknown major, important, famous, significant, celebrated, familiar, distinguished, well-known, prominent, renowned, eminent, illustrious, widely-known

2. abstruse, involved, complex, confusing, puzzling, subtle, mysterious, deep, vague, unclear, doubtful, mystical, intricate, ambiguous, enigmatic, esoteric, perplexing, occult, opaque, incomprehensible, arcane, cryptic, unfathomable, recondite, clear as mud (informal) The contract is written in obscure language.
abstruse clear, obvious, plain, simple, apparent, evident, distinct, straightforward, explicit, definite, manifest, transparent, unmistakable, lucid, intelligible

3. unclear, hidden, uncertain, confused, mysterious, concealed, doubtful, indefinite, indeterminate The word is of obscure origin.
unclear well-known

4. indistinct, vague, blurred, dark, clouded, faint, dim, gloomy, veiled, murky, fuzzy, shadowy, cloudy, misty, hazy, indistinguishable, indeterminate, dusky, undefined, out of focus, ill-defined, obfuscated, indiscernible, tenebrous The hills were just an obscure shape in the mist.
indistinct clear, sharp, distinct, well-defined

verb

1. obstruct, hinder, block out Trees obscured his vision.

2. hide, cover (up), screen, mask, disguise, conceal, veil, cloak, shroud, camouflage, envelop, encase, enshroud The building is almost completely obscured by a huge banner.
hide show, reveal, expose, unveil, uncover, unmask

3. obfuscate, confuse, cloud, blur, muddy, darken, muddy the waters of, adumbrate, befog, throw a veil over, bedim the jargon that frequently obscures legal documents
obfuscate explain, clarify, interpret, disclose, explicate

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

obscure

adjective

1. Deficient in brightness:

caliginous, dark, dim, dusky, murky.

2. Not clearly perceived or perceptible:

blear, bleary, cloudy, dim, faint, foggy, fuzzy, hazy, indefinite, indistinct, misty, shadowy, unclear, undistinct, vague.

3. Far from centers of human population:

back, insular, isolated, lonely, lonesome, outlying, out-of-the-way, remote, removed, secluded, solitary.

Idiom: off the beaten path.

4. Not readily noticed or seen:

inconspicuous, unconspicuous, unnoticeable, unobtrusive.

Idiom: having a low profile.

5. Not known or not widely known by name:

nameless, unheard-of, unknown.

6. Liable to more than one interpretation:

ambiguous, cloudy, equivocal, inexplicit, nebulous, uncertain, unclear, vague.

verb

1. To make dim or indistinct:

becloud, bedim, befog, blear, blur, cloud, dim, dull, eclipse, fog, gloom, mist, obfuscate, overcast, overshadow, shadow.

2. To conceal in obscurity:

hide, submerge.

3. To cut off from sight:

block (out), conceal, hide, obstruct, screen, shroud, shut off (or out).

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

غَيْر مَشْهور، مَغْمورمُبْهَم، غامِضمُعْتِميَحْجُب

obskurskjuleuforståeligukendt

dunkelobskurschwierigunbekanntverbergen

oscuropoco claroborrosodesconocidoobscurecer

obscurobscurciramphigouriqueinconnu

dimmur, óljóshylja, skyggja álítt òekkturtorráîinn

oscuroermeticooscurareoscurit...

gožtimenkai žinomasnežinianežinomybėsunkiai įžiūrimas

aizēnotaizsegtaptumšotmazpazīstamsnesaprotams, miglains

upåaktet

obscuro

тёмный

málo známy

nejasenneznan

anlaşılması zorbelirsizgizlemekörtmektanınmamış

不引人注目的使不明显暗的朦胧的遮掩

obscure

[əbˈskjʊəʳ]

A. ADJ

1. (= not well-known) [book, artist, poet] → poco conocido, oscuro; [village] → recóndito, perdido
some obscure disease we had never heard of before → una enfermedad poco conocida de la que nunca habíamos oído hablar antes
Norris himself has remained relatively obscure → el mismo Norris sigue siendo hasta cierto punto un desconocido

2. (= not obvious) [word, jargon, terminology] → de difícil comprensión; [origins] → oscuro, poco claro
the meaning is obscure → el significado es oscuro or poco claro
for some obscure reason → por alguna extraña razón
to make obscure references to sth → referirse de forma críptica a algo

3. (= indistinct) [shape, figure] → borroso

B. VT

1. (= hide) [+ object, face, truth] → ocultar
some clouds obscured the sun → algunas nubes ocultaron el sol
the house is obscured by trees → la casa está escondida detrás de unos árboles
my view was obscured by a lady in a large hat → una señora con un sombrero enorme no me dejaba ver
his article obscures the facts → su artículo oscurece los hechos
this news should not be allowed to obscure the fact that → no se debería permitir que esta noticia impida ver claramente que ..., no se debería permitir que esta noticia vele el hecho de que ...

2. (= complicate) → complicar
it served only to obscure the matter further → sirvío para complicar aun más el asunto

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

obscure

[əbˈskjʊə^r]

adj

(= unknown) [person, thing] → obscur(e)

(= difficult) → obscur(e)

vt

[+ truth, facts] → obscurcir

[+ sun, area] → obscurcir

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

obscure

adj (+er)

(= hard to understand) → dunkel; style → unklar, undurchsichtig; argument → verworren; language, word, book, poet → schwer verständlich

(= indistinct) feeling, memory → dunkel, undeutlich, unklar; for some obscure reason → aus einem unerfindlichen Grund

(= unknown, little known) → obskur; poet, village → unbekannt; (= humble) beginnings → unbedeutend; life → wenig beachtenswert; of obscure birth → von unbekannter Herkunft; he holds some obscure post in the Civil Service → er hat so ein obskures Pöstchen im Staatsdienst

(rare, = dark) → düster, finster

vt

(= hide) sun, view → verdecken; the tree obscured the bay from our view → der Baum nahm uns (dat) → die Sicht auf die Bucht

(= confuse) → verworren or unklar machen; mind → verwirren; truth, facts, issues → verschleiern

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

obscure

[əbˈskjʊəʳ]

1. adj (-r (comp) (-st (superl))) (gen) → oscuro/a; (feeling, memory) → vago/a

2. vt (darken) → oscurare; (hide, sun) → coprire; (issue, idea) → confondere

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

obscure

(əbˈskjuə) adjective

1. not clear; difficult to see. an obscure corner of the library. duister, donker مُعْتِم мрачен obscuro tmavý dunkel obskur σκοτεινός, δυσδιάκριτος obscuro, oscuro, poco claro hämar تیره و تار epäselvä obscurמעורפל अस्पष्ट nejasan homályos kabur dimmur, óljós oscuro はっきりしない 잘 보이지 않는 sunkiai pastebimas/įžiūrimas, tamsus tumšs; vāji apgaismots sukar difahami donkeruklar, utydelig mroczny, niewidoczny نا څرګنده obscuro ob­scur, întunecos неясный, скрытный; тёмный tmavý mračen mračan dunkel, skum ที่ไม่ชัดเจน belirsiz 暗的，朦朧的 похмурий, темний دھندلا، غير واضح tối; mờ mịt 暗的，朦胧的

2. not well-known. an obscure author. obskure غَيْر مَشْهور، مَغْمور неизвестен obscuro málo známý unbekannt ukendt άγνωστος, άσημος obscuro vähetuntud گمنام tuntematon obscur לא יָדוּע अनजाना सा nepoznat ismeretlen tidak dikenal lítt þekktur oscuro 知られていない 유명하지 않은 menkai žinomas mazpazīstams tdk terkenal weinig bekend ukjent, upåaktetnieznany ناپيژنده obscuro obscur малоизвестный málo známy neznan nepoznat okänd ที่ไม่มีชื่อเสียง tanınmamış 不出名的 невідомий غير معروف vô danh 不引人注目的

3. difficult to understand. an obscure poem. vaag, onduidelik مُبْهَم، غامِض непонятен obscuro nejasný schwierig uforståelig δυσνόητοςobscuro segane غیر قابل درک vaikeasti ymmärrettävä obscur לא בָּרוּר अस्पष्ट, मुश्किल nerazumljiv zavaros sulit dipahami torráðinn oscuro 難解な 분명하지 않은 sunkiai suprantamas, miglotas nesaprotams, miglains sukar difahami duisterdunkelniejasny د درك نه وړ obscuro obscur непонятный nejasný nejasen nerazuman svårfattlig, dunkel คลุมเครือ anlaşılması zor 難解的 неясний, незрозумілий ناقابل فہم khó hiểu 难解的

verb

to make obscure. A large tree obscured the view. verduister, verdonker يَحْجُب затъмнявам obstruir (za)stínit verbergen skjule κρύβω, συγκαλύπτω ofuscar, obscurecer varjama نامشخص کردن؛ تار کردن peittää obscurcir לְהַסתִּיר रुकावट कर देना zaklanjati eltakar menghalangi hylja, skyggja á oscurare ぼかす 흐리게 하다 užstoti, (už)gožti aizsegt; aizēnot; aptumšot melindungi gedeeltelijk verborgen formørke, skjulezasłonić نا معلوم كردن، پوشانيدن obstruir a ascunde vederii затемнять; заслонять zakryť zakriti zakloniti förmörka, fördunkla, skymma ปิดบัง gizlemek, örtmek 遮掩，使不明顯 неясний, незрозумілий حائل ہونا، چھپانا che khuất 遮掩，使不明显

obˈscurely adverb

duistere, vae, onduidelike بِغُموض тъмно obscuramente nezřetelně obskur uforståeligt; skjult σκοτεινά, δυσνόητα oscuramente hämaralt بطور مبهم epämääräisesti obscurément בִּמעוּרפָּל अंधकारमयता से, घूमिलता से, प्रच्छन्नतापूर्वक, दुर्बोधतापूर्वक zaklonjeno, nejasno homályosan secara kabur óljóst, ógreinilega oscuramente あいまいに 애매하게 neaiškiai neskaidri; miglaini dgn gaya yg sukar difahami duisteruklart, utydelig, tilslørt niejasno په ناڅرګنده توګه obscuramente obscur темно; непонятно; смутно nezreteľne mračno mračno dunkelt, skumt อย่างมืดมัว anlaşılmaz bir şekilde 遮掩 неясно, незрозуміло مخفي انداز ميں che khuất 遮掩，暗地地，朦胧地，难解地

obˈscurity noun

duisternis, vaagheid, onduidelikheid, onbekendheid ظَلام، ظُلْمَه، غُموض тъмнина obscuridade temnota die Dunkelheit uklarhed σκοτάδι, ασάφεια, αφάνεια oscuridad hämarus تاریکی؛ ابهام epämääräisyys obscuritéאפלה अचर्चित होना, कठिनाई, अंधेरा skrovitost, skrivenost sötétség, homály kekaburan óskÿrleiki; torræðni oscurità あいまいさ 애매한 상태 nežinia, nežinomybė, neaiškumas tumsa; neskaidrība; neziņa tdk dikenali duisterheidutydelighet; ubemerkethetmrok, zapomnienie, niejasność ناڅرګنديدا obscuridade obscuritate темнота; неясность; неизвестность temnota tema mračnost dunkel, svårfattlighet, obemärkthet ความไม่ชัดแจ้ง anlaşılmazlık 遮掩 темрява; неясність ابہام، دھندلاپن sự tối tăm; khó hiểu 朦胧，不明，费解，隐晦

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

obscure

a. oscuro-a; oculto-a, escondido-a.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012