Antonyms for obscure
əbˈskyʊərob·scure

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:2.0 / 2 votes

1. obscureadjective

   Antonyms:
   clear

   Synonyms:
   mysterious, enigmatic, esoteric

2. obscureadjective

   Dark, faint or indistinct.

   Antonyms:
   clear

   Synonyms:
   mysterious, enigmatic, esoteric

3. obscureadjective

   Hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous.

   Antonyms:
   clear

   Synonyms:
   mysterious, enigmatic, esoteric

4. obscureadjective

   Difficult to understand.

   Synonyms:
   esoteric, enigmatic, mysterious

   Antonyms:
   clear

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.3 / 3 votes

1. obscure

   That is obscure which the eye or the mind can not clearly discern or see through, whether because of its own want of transparency, its depth or intricacy, or because of mere defect of light. That which is complicated is likely to be obscure, but that may be obscure which is not at all complicated and scarcely complex, as a muddy pool. In that which is abstruse (Latin abs, from, and trudo, push) as if removed from the usual course of thought or out of the way of apprehension or discovery, the thought is remote, hidden; in that which is obscure there may be nothing to hide; it is hard to see to the bottom of the profound, because of its depth, but the most shallow turbidness is obscure. Compare COMPLEX; DARK; DIFFICULT; MYSTERIOUS.

   See synonyms for CLEAR.

   Synonyms:
   abstruse, ambiguous, cloudy, complex, complicated, dark, darksome, deep, dense, difficult, dim, doubtful, dusky, enigmatical, hidden, incomprehensible, indistinct, intricate, involved, muddy, mysterious, profound, turbid, unintelligible

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. obscureadjective

   Antonyms:
   bright, luminous, distinct, lucid, plain, plain spoken, intelligible, unambiguous, ascertained, eminent, prominent

   Synonyms:
   dark, dim, lowering, indistinct, enigmatical, uncertain, doubtful, unascertained, humble, unintelligible, mean

2. obscureverb

   Antonyms:
   reveal, make known, discover

   Synonyms:
   conceal, darken

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Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. obscure, vagueadjective

   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

   Antonyms:
   glorious, unconcealed, comprehendible, conspicuous, comprehensible, clear, connected

   Synonyms:
   unnoticeable, dark, hidden, faint, shadowy, unknown, apart(p), vague, dim, isolated, undefined, wispy, unsung

2. dark, obscureadjective

   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"

   Antonyms:
   clear, comprehendible, comprehensible, connected, unconcealed, glorious, conspicuous

   Synonyms:
   vague, sullen, unnoticeable, glum, dismal, dark, moody, apart(p), coloured, disconsolate, dark-skinned, black, gloomy, benighted, non-white, blue, glowering, sour, unknown, sinister, grim, dour, hidden, saturnine, sorry, drab, dingy, isolated, dreary, drear, unsung, morose

3. hidden, obscureadjective

   difficult to find

   "hidden valleys"; "a hidden cave"; "an obscure retreat"

   Antonyms:
   conspicuous, glorious, comprehensible, connected, clear, comprehendible, unconcealed

   Synonyms:
   unnoticeable, dark, hidden, apart(p), out of sight, unknown, concealed, vague, isolated, secret, unsung

4. obscure, unknown, unsungadjective

   not famous or acclaimed

   "an obscure family"; "unsung heroes of the war"

   Antonyms:
   glorious, connected, conspicuous, comprehendible, clear, comprehensible, unconcealed

   Synonyms:
   unnoticeable, dark, hidden, unnamed, unvalued, strange, unknown, unidentified, apart(p), vague, isolated, unappreciated, nameless, unsung

5. obscure, unnoticeableadjective

   not drawing attention

   "an unnoticeable cigarette burn on the carpet"; "an obscure flaw"

   Antonyms:
   comprehendible, unconcealed, comprehensible, conspicuous, clear, glorious, connected

   Synonyms:
   unnoticeable, dark, hidden, unknown, apart(p), vague, unobtrusive, isolated, unsung

6. apart(p), isolated, obscureverb

   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"

   Antonyms:
   conspicuous, unconcealed, comprehendible, comprehensible, connected, clear, glorious

7. obscure, befog, becloud, obnubilate, haze over, fog, cloud, mistverb

   make less visible or unclear

   "The stars are obscured by the clouds"; "the big elm tree obscures our view of the valley"

   Antonyms:
   glorious, clear, comprehensible, unconcealed, conspicuous, connected, comprehendible

   Synonyms:
   veil, mist, dapple, confuse, blot out, corrupt, overcloud, defile, becloud, fog, blur, haze over, befog, mottle, obnubilate, mist over, obliterate, overcast, taint, bedim, hide, sully, cloud

8. confuse, blur, obscure, obnubilateverb

   make unclear, indistinct, or blurred

   "Her remarks confused the debate"; "Their words obnubilate their intentions"

   Antonyms:
   connected, conspicuous, comprehendible, unconcealed, comprehensible, glorious, clear

   Synonyms:
   fuddle, film over, slur, confound, befuddle, fog, fox, confuse, becloud, jumble, cloud, smutch, mix up, glaze over, flurry, bedim, blot out, dim, mist, blur, throw, obliterate, haze over, overcloud, smear, hide, put off, smudge, befog, veil, disconcert, discombobulate, blear, bedevil, obnubilate

9. obscure, bedim, overcloudverb

   make obscure or unclear

   "The distinction was obscured"

   Antonyms:
   conspicuous, unconcealed, comprehensible, glorious, connected, clear, comprehendible

   Synonyms:
   veil, mist, benight, confuse, blot out, overcloud, becloud, fog, cloud over, blur, haze over, befog, obnubilate, obliterate, bedim, hide, cloud, cloud up

10. obscureverb

    reduce a vowel to a neutral one, such as a schwa

    Antonyms:
    conspicuous, connected, comprehendible, glorious, unconcealed, clear, comprehensible

    Synonyms:
    veil, overcloud, haze over, blur, cloud, befog, hide, fog, obliterate, bedim, becloud, obnubilate, mist, confuse, blot out

11. obscure, blot out, obliterate, veil, hideverb

    make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing

    "a hidden message"; "a veiled threat"

    Antonyms:
    clear, conspicuous, unconcealed, connected, comprehensible, comprehendible, glorious

    Synonyms:
    shroud, veil, mist, wipe out, confuse, blot out, enshroud, overcloud, kill, becloud, fog, blur, conceal, haze over, befog, obnubilate, cover, obliterate, hide out, efface, bedim, hide, cloud

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. obscureadjective

   Synonyms:
   abstruse, vague, recondite, indefinite, ambiguous, humble, inglorious, mean, undistinguished, secluded, retired, remote, shaded, darkened

2. obscureverb

   Synonyms:
   darken, obfuscate, bedim, eclipse, involve, dissemble, disguise, confuse

How to use obscure in a sentence?

1. Henri Frdric Amiel:

   Action is only coarsened thought-thought becomes concrete, obscure, and unconscious.

2. President Barack Obama:

   What we've said to them is that, 'If there are weapons delivered to factions within Yemen that could threaten navigation, that's a problem,' and we're not sending them obscure messages. We send them very direct messages about it.

3. Horace:

   Brevis esse laboro, obscurus fio.(When I labor to be brief, I become obscure.)

4. Lao Tzu:

   Thus it is said: The path into the light seems dark, the path forward seems to go back, the direct path seems long, true power seems weak, true purity seems tarnished, true steadfastness seems changeable, true clarity seems obscure, the greatest are seems unsophisticated, the greatest love seems indifferent, the greatest wisdom seems childish. The Tao is nowhere to be found. Yet it nourishes and completes all things.

5. Kevin Kobylinski:

   We were drinking beers and discussing the difficulties in working in Africa with no electricity or running water, his research team was there to study obscure viruses that affect people in that region. I mentioned that we probably had one of these lesser-known viruses and described the results that we had received from the CDC and the symptoms that we had. He told me he thought it could potentially be Zika virus.

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