What are some alternative words for obscure?
Synonyms for obscure
əbˈskyʊər
This thesaurus page is about all possible synonyms, equivalent, same meaning and similar words for the term obscure.
Princeton's WordNet
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, unsungAntonyms:
glorious, unconcealed, comprehendible, conspicuous, comprehensible, clear, connecteddark, 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, moroseAntonyms:
clear, comprehendible, comprehensible, connected, unconcealed, glorious, conspicuoushidden, 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, unsungAntonyms:
conspicuous, glorious, comprehensible, connected, clear, comprehendible, unconcealedobscure, 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, unsungAntonyms:
glorious, connected, conspicuous, comprehendible, clear, comprehensible, unconcealedobscure, 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, unsungAntonyms:
comprehendible, unconcealed, comprehensible, conspicuous, clear, glorious, connectedapart(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, gloriousobscure, 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, cloudAntonyms:
glorious, clear, comprehensible, unconcealed, conspicuous, connected, comprehendibleconfuse, 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, obnubilateAntonyms:
connected, conspicuous, comprehendible, unconcealed, comprehensible, glorious, clearobscure, 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 upAntonyms:
conspicuous, unconcealed, comprehensible, glorious, connected, clear, comprehendibleobscure(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 outAntonyms:
conspicuous, connected, comprehendible, glorious, unconcealed, clear, comprehensibleobscure, 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, cloudAntonyms:
clear, conspicuous, unconcealed, connected, comprehensible, comprehendible, glorious
Wiktionary
obscure(adjective)
Synonyms:
mysterious, enigmatic, esotericAntonyms:
clearobscure(adjective)
Dark, faint or indistinct.
Synonyms:
mysterious, enigmatic, esotericAntonyms:
clearobscure(adjective)
Hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous.
Synonyms:
esoteric, enigmatic, mysteriousAntonyms:
clearobscure(adjective)
Difficult to understand.
Synonyms:
esoteric, enigmatic, mysteriousAntonyms:
clear
English Synonyms and Antonyms
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
obscure(a)
Synonyms:
dark, dim, lowering, indistinct, enigmatical, uncertain, doubtful, unascertained, humble, unintelligible, meanAntonyms:
bright, luminous, distinct, lucid, plain, plain spoken, intelligible, unambiguous, ascertained, eminent, prominentobscure(v)
Antonyms:
reveal, make known, discover
Dictionary of English Synonymes
obscure(a.)
Synonyms:
dark, gloomy, rayless, darksome, unilluminated, unenlightened, dusky, sombre, sombrous, lurid, shadowy, murky, dimobscure(a.)
Synonyms:
unintelligible, incomprehensible, indistinct, indefinite, vague, doubtful, enigmatical, mysterious, mystic, mystical, recondite, abstruse, cabalistic, transcendental, highobscure(a.)
Synonyms:
unknown, undistinguished, nameless, unnoted, unnoticed, renownless, unhonored, humble, ingloriousobscure(v. a.)
Synonyms:
darken, cloud, eclipse, dim, shade, obfuscate, cast in the shade
Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words
Words popularity by usage frequency
How to use obscure in a sentence?
Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about.
The situation in the western Balkans is rather obscure, not stable, and... it will be necessary to ensure that there is dialogue to strengthen stability in this region.
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.
Brevis esse laboro, obscurus fio.(When I labor to be brief, I become obscure.)
It’s a very obscure line.
Translations for obscure
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- مظلم, غامArabic
- nezřetelný, temnýCzech
- vernebeln, düster, verdunkeln, verdecken, undeutlich, obskur, verschleiern, unbedeutendGerman
- obscuro, esconder, ocultarSpanish
- مبهمPersian
- hämärä, piiloutunut, vaikeaselkoinen, huomaamaton, hämärtää, piilottaaFinnish
- obscurcir, obscur, sibyllinFrench
- tompa, kétes hírűHungarian
- nascosto, oscuro, vago, poco chiaro, indistinto, confuso, oscuratoItalian
- 不明瞭, 朦朧Japanese
- 애매한Korean
- caecōLatin
- whakarehurehu, rehurehuMāori
- замаглен, мрачен, нејасенMacedonian
- verborgen, duisterDutch
- obskurNorwegian
- [[mało]] [[znany]], ukryć, ciemny, przesłonić, ukryty, niewyraźny, zaciemnić, schowaćPolish
- obscuroPortuguese
- obscura, obscur, întuneca, ascuns, ascunde, întunecos, oculta, retrasRomanian
- скрывать, смутный, затемнять, неясный, непонятный, скрытый, прятать, тёмный, безвестныйRussian
- mörkSwedish
- தெளிவற்றTamil
- che khuấtVietnamese
- 朦胧Chinese
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"obscure." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2021. Web. 5 Mar. 2021. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/obscure>.