obscure

/əbˈskjʊər/

Say it: ub-SKYOOR

1. adjective Not well-known or important; difficult to find or remember.
He was an obscure poet in his time but is now celebrated for his work.
2. adjective Not clearly expressed or easily understood; hard to make sense of.
The contract was full of obscure language that seemed designed to confuse.
3. verb To keep from being seen, heard, or understood; to conceal or make unclear.
A thick layer of dust obscured the details of the ancient carving.

📖 Seen in the wild

The meaning of the ancient text remained obscure to modern scholars.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ obscure in a sentence

The band enjoyed a brief moment of fame before fading back into being relatively obscure.
Her motives for the decision remained obscure to even her closest friends.
The towering new skyscraper will obscure the view from our apartment.
He made an obscure reference to a philosopher I had never heard of.
The government has been accused of deliberately obscuring the facts about the incident.
She lives in an obscure village in the mountains, far from any major city.
The true origins of the tradition are lost in the obscure past.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

unclear vague unknown arcane cryptic enigmatic ambiguous inconspicuous little-known conceal

unclear · focuses on a lack of clarity in communication or meaning.

vague · implies a lack of specific detail or precision.

unknown · simply means not known, without the added sense of being unimportant or difficult.

arcane · suggests something is understood only by a few specialists.

Opposites: clear, obvious, famous, renowned, prominent

🌱 Where it comes from

The word obscure comes to us from the Latin 'obscurus', which meant 'dark, dim, or indistinct'. This original sense of physical darkness has expanded over time to include figurative darkness, like a meaning that is 'dark' and hard to see, or a person who is in the 'dark' and not widely known.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

remain obscurean obscure referencedeliberately obscureobscure the viewan obscure corner of

The word 'obscure' is versatile, covering both a lack of fame and a lack of clarity. Context is your best guide: 'an obscure poet' is one who isn't well-known, while 'an obscure argument' is one that's hard to follow. While neutral in tone, it can be a polite way to criticize writing for being needlessly complex. Be aware that it sounds slightly more formal than simple alternatives like 'unclear' or 'hidden'.

Word family: obscurity, obscurely

💬 Quick answers

What does obscure mean?

Obscure primarily means either 'not well-known' (like an obscure band) or 'unclear and hard to understand' (like an obscure passage in a book). As a verb, it means to hide or make something unclear.

What is the difference between obscure and ambiguous?

Something that is obscure is simply unclear or difficult to understand. Something that is ambiguous is unclear because it could be understood in two or more different ways.

Is obscure a negative word?

It is not strictly negative, but it often implies a lack of something desirable, such as fame, importance, or clarity. Calling a writer's style 'obscure' is usually a criticism.

How do you use obscure as a verb?

To use 'obscure' as a verb means to hide or make something less visible or understandable. For example, 'The fog obscured the road,' or 'The politician's jargon obscured his true intentions.'

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