obscure
Use Obscure in a sentence
adjective
1.
(of meaning) not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain: an obscure sentence in the contract.
2.
not clear to the understanding; hard to perceive: obscure motivations.
3.
(of language, style, a speaker, etc.) not expressing the meaning clearly or plainly.
4.
indistinct to the sight or any other sense; not readily seen, heard, etc.; faint.
5.
inconspicuous or unnoticeable: the obscure beginnings of a great movement.
6.
of little or no prominence, note, fame, or distinction: an obscure French artist.
7.
far from public notice, worldly affairs, or important activities; remote; retired: an obscure little town.
8.
lacking in light or illumination; dark; dim; murky: an obscure back room.
9.
enveloped in, concealed by, or frequenting darkness.
10.
not bright or lustrous; dull or darkish, as color or appearance.
11.
(of a vowel) having the reduced or neutral sound usually represented by the schwa (ə).
verb (used with object)
12.
to conceal or conceal by confusing (the meaning of a statement, poem, etc.).
13.
to make dark, dim, indistinct, etc.
14.
to reduce or neutralize (a vowel) to the sound usually represented by a schwa (ə).
00:10
Obscure
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is absquatulate. Does it mean:
| to flee; abscond: |
| to bark; yelp. |
noun
15.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Old French oscur, obscur < Latin obscūrus dark
1350–1400; Middle English < Old French oscur, obscur < Latin obscūrus dark
Related forms
ob·scure·ness, noun
sub·ob·scure, adjective
sub·ob·scure·ly, adverb
sub·ob·scure·ness, noun
Synonyms
1. doubtful, dubious. See mysterious. 4. blurred, veiled. 6. undistinguished, unnoted, unknown. 7. secluded, inconspicuous, unnoticeable, unnoticed. 8. cloudy, dusky, somber. See dark.
1. doubtful, dubious. See mysterious. 4. blurred, veiled. 6. undistinguished, unnoted, unknown. 7. secluded, inconspicuous, unnoticeable, unnoticed. 8. cloudy, dusky, somber. See dark.
Antonyms
1. certain. 4. clear. 6. noted. 7. conspicuous. 8. bright.
1. certain. 4. clear. 6. noted. 7. conspicuous. 8. bright.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To obscure
Collins
World English Dictionary
obscure (əbˈskjʊə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | unclear or abstruse |
| 2. | indistinct, vague, or indefinite |
| 3. | inconspicuous or unimportant |
| 4. | hidden, secret, or remote |
| 5. | (of a vowel) reduced to or transformed into a neutral vowel () |
| 6. | gloomy, dark, clouded, or dim |
| —vb | |
| 7. | to make unclear, vague, or hidden |
| 8. | to cover or cloud over |
| 9. | phonetics to pronounce (a vowel) with articulation that causes it to become a neutral sound represented by () |
| —n | |
| 10. | a rare word for obscurity |
| [C14: via Old French from Latin obscūrus dark] | |
| obscuration | |
| —n | |
| ob'scurely | |
| —adv | |
| ob'scureness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
obscure
c.1400, from O.Fr. obscur "dark, dim, not clear," from L. obscurus "covered over, dark, obscure, indistinct," from ob "over" + -scurus "covered," from PIE *(s)keu- "to cover, conceal;" source of O.N. sky, O.E. sceo "cloud," and L. scutum "shield" and Gk. skeue "dress" (see
sky). The verb is first recorded early 15c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary
obscure
adj. Used in an exaggeration of its normal meaning, to imply total incomprehensibility. "The reason for that last crash is obscure." "The `find(1)' command's syntax is obscure!" The phrase `moderately obscure' implies that something could be figured out but probably isn't worth the trouble. The construction `obscure in the extreme' is the preferred emphatic form.runic
adj. Syn. {obscure}. VMS fans sometimes refer to Unix as `Runix'; Unix fans return the compliment by expanding VMS to `Very Messy Syntax' or `Vachement Mauvais Syste`me' (French idiom, "Hugely Bad System").
Jargon
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary
OBSCURE definition
"A Formal Description of the Specification Language OBSCURE", J. Loeckx, TR A85/15, U Saarlandes, Saarbrucken, 1985.
[Jargon File]
Example sentences
Most years, because of their brief duration, moonlight or cloudy conditions obscure the show.
We all know that focusing on the characteristics of a group can obscure the differences between the individuals in it.
Some with the disorder develop obsessive hygiene habits or use smoking to obscure their fishy smell.
During the rainy season, however, the spray plume can obscure the view of the falls themselves.
Nearby Words
Synonyms
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
