Meaning & Definition of Obscure in English

1. Make less visible or unclear

• "The stars are obscured by the clouds"

• "The big elm tree obscures our view of the valley"

2. Make unclear, indistinct, or blurred

• "Her remarks confused the debate"

• "Their words obnubilate their intentions"

3. Make obscure or unclear

• "The distinction was obscured"

4. Reduce a vowel to a neutral one, such as a schwa

5. Make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing

• "A hidden message"

• "A veiled threat"

1. 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

2. 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"

3. Difficult to find

• "Hidden valleys"

• "A hidden cave"

• "An obscure retreat"

4. Not famous or acclaimed

• "An obscure family"

• "Unsung heroes of the war"

5. Not drawing attention

• "An unnoticeable cigarette burn on the carpet"

• "An obscure flaw"

6. 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"