Synonyms for obscure
əbˈskyʊərob·scure

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:2.0 / 2 votes

1. obscureadjective

   Synonyms:
   mysterious, enigmatic, esoteric

   Antonyms:
   clear

2. obscureadjective

   Dark, faint or indistinct.

   Synonyms:
   mysterious, enigmatic, esoteric

   Antonyms:
   clear

3. obscureadjective

   Hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous.

   Synonyms:
   mysterious, enigmatic, esoteric

   Antonyms:
   clear

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

   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. obscureverb

   Synonyms:
   conceal, darken

   Antonyms:
   reveal, make known, discover

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms: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

   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, 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"

   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, obscureadjective

   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, unsungadjective

   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, unnoticeableadjective

   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, 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"

   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, obnubilateverb

   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, overcloudverb

   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. obscureverb

    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, hideverb

    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

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Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. obscureadjective

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

2. obscureadjective

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

3. obscureadjective

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

4. obscureverb

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

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

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "obscure":

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

Suggested Resources

1. obscure

   Song lyrics by obscure -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by obscure on the Lyrics.com website.

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How to use obscure in a sentence?

1. 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.

2. Henri Frdric Amiel:

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

3. Josh Billings:

   Like other occult techniques of divination, the statistical method has a private jargon deliberately contrived to obscure its methods from non-practitioners.

4. Jimmy Carter:

   We deal with individual people in the smallest and most obscure and suffering villages in the desert and in the jungles of Africa, and we've had programs in 80 different countries on the Earth for the poorest and most destitute people in the world, and that has been, I'd say, far more gratifying personally because we actually interact with families and with people.

5. Barack Obama:

   What President Barack Obama'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. My hope is generally that we can settle down the situation in Yemen.