Synonyms for obscure
əbˈskyʊər

Princeton's WordNet(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate these synonyms:

1. obscure, vague(adj)

   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

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

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

2. dark, obscure(adj)

   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"

   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

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

3. hidden, obscure(adj)

   difficult to find

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

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

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

4. obscure, unknown, unsung(adj)

   not famous or acclaimed

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

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

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

5. obscure, unnoticeable(adj)

   not drawing attention

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

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

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

6. apart(p), isolated, obscure(verb)

   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, mist(verb)

   make less visible or unclear

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

   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

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

8. confuse, blur, obscure, obnubilate(verb)

   make unclear, indistinct, or blurred

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

   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

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

9. obscure, bedim, overcloud(verb)

   make obscure or unclear

   "The distinction was obscured"

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

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

10. obscure(verb)

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

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

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

11. obscure, blot out, obliterate, veil, hide(verb)

    make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing

    "a hidden message"; "a veiled threat"

    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

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

Wiktionary(2.00 / 2 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. obscure(adjective)

   Synonyms:
   mysterious, enigmatic, esoteric

   Antonyms:
   clear

2. obscure(adjective)

   Dark, faint or indistinct.

   Synonyms:
   mysterious, enigmatic, esoteric

   Antonyms:
   clear

3. obscure(adjective)

   Hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous.

   Synonyms:
   esoteric, enigmatic, mysterious

   Antonyms:
   clear

4. obscure(adjective)

   Difficult to understand.

   Synonyms:
   esoteric, enigmatic, mysterious

   Antonyms:
   clear

English Synonyms and Antonyms(3.33 / 3 votes)Rate these synonyms:

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 Antonyms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. obscure(a)

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

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

2. obscure(v)

   Synonyms:
   conceal, darken

   Antonyms:
   reveal, make known, discover

Dictionary of English Synonymes(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. obscure(a.)

   Synonyms:
   dark, gloomy, rayless, darksome, unilluminated, unenlightened, dusky, sombre, sombrous, lurid, shadowy, murky, dim

2. obscure(a.)

   Synonyms:
   unintelligible, incomprehensible, indistinct, indefinite, vague, doubtful, enigmatical, mysterious, mystic, mystical, recondite, abstruse, cabalistic, transcendental, high

3. obscure(a.)

   Synonyms:
   unknown, undistinguished, nameless, unnoted, unnoticed, renownless, unhonored, humble, inglorious

4. obscure(v. a.)

   Synonyms:
   darken, cloud, eclipse, dim, shade, obfuscate, cast in the shade

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. obscure(a)

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

2. obscure(v)

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

PPDB, the paraphrase database(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. List of paraphrases:

   dark, unclear, overshadow, opaque, vague, hide, conceal, mysterious, arcane, shadowy, mask, non-transparent, murky, ambiguous, disguise, shady, obfuscate

How to pronounce obscure?

Alex

US English

Daniel

British

Karen

Australian

Veena

Indian

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How to use obscure in a sentence?

1. Sydney Smith:

   A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort.

2. Rob Manwaring:

   Liberal Democrat's an obscure figure with a very low support base, who is up for reelection and this is desperate attention-seeking on Liberal Democrat part to remind, particularly a core of, Liberal Democrat minority supporters, who Liberal Democrat is.

3. 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.

4. Joe DiVincenzo Jr.:

   Triple-AAA bond rating is obscure to the public, but today clearly demonstrates why Essex County is so important.

5. Chris Patten:

   An idea of law where there aren't any independent courts. Where the courts and the security services and the party's rule which are, sometimes, pretty obscure, are rolled altogether.

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