obscure (adj.)

  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

    [ Syn: vague ]

  2. marked by difficulty of style or expression; much that was dark is now quite clear to me; those who do not appreciate Kafkas work say his style is obscure

    [ Syn: dark ]

  3. difficult to find; hidden valleys; a hidden cave; an obscure retreat

    [ Syn: hidden ]

  4. not famous or acclaimed; an obscure family; unsung heroes of the war

    [ Syn: unknown , unsung ]

  5. not drawing attention; an unnoticeable cigarette burn on the carpet; an obscure flaw

    [ Syn: unnoticeable ]

  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

    [ Syn: apart , isolated ]

    obscure (v.)

  1. make less visible or unclear; The stars are obscured by the clouds; the big elm tree obscures our view of the valley

    [ Syn: befog , becloud , obnubilate , haze over , fog , cloud , mist ]

  2. make unclear, indistinct, or blurred; Her remarks confused the debate; Their words obnubilate their intentions

    [ Syn: confuse , blur , obnubilate ]

  3. make obscure or unclear; The distinction was obscured

    [ Syn: bedim , overcloud ]

  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

    [ Syn: blot out , obliterate , veil , hide ]

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2011 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.