OBSCURE: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for OBSCURE?

Need another word that means the same as “obscure”? Find 85 synonyms and 30 related words for “obscure” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Obscure” are: unnoticeable, unknown, unsung, vague, dark, apart, isolated, hidden, unclear, uncertain, in doubt, doubtful, dubious, mysterious, hazy, indeterminate, concealed, little known, undistinguished, insignificant, unimportant, inconsequential, inconspicuous, unnoticed, nameless, anonymous, minor, humble, lowly, unrenowned, unrecognized, unhonoured, inglorious, forgotten, abstruse, recondite, arcane, esoteric, recherché, occult, indistinct, faint, ill-defined, blurred, blurry, misty, foggy, veiled, cloudy, clouded, nebulous, fuzzy, blot out, hide, obliterate, veil, blur, confuse, obnubilate, bedim, overcloud, becloud, befog, cloud, fog, haze over, mist, conceal, cover, shroud, screen, mask, cloak, cast a shadow over, shadow, envelop, mantle, block, block out, blank out, eclipse, overshadow, complicate, obfuscate, muddy

Obscure as a Verb

Definitions of "Obscure" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “obscure” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• Make unclear and difficult to understand.
• Reduce a vowel to a neutral one, such as a schwa.
• Make unclear, indistinct, or blurred.
• Make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing.
• Make obscure or unclear.
• Keep from being known.
• Make less visible or unclear.
• Keep from being seen; conceal.

Synonyms of "Obscure" as a verb (33 Words)

becloud	Make obscure or muddled. Confusion beclouds the issue.
bedim	Cause to become dim. A slight cloud would bedim the sky.
befog	Make less visible or unclear. Her brain was befogged with lack of sleep.
blank out	Keep the opposing (baseball) team from winning.
block	Support secure or raise with a block. The narrow roads were blocked by cars.
block out	Stamp or emboss a title or design on a book with a block.
blot out	Dry (ink) with blotting paper.
blur	Make unclear indistinct or blurred. The distinction between the two theories blurred.
cast a shadow over	Form by pouring (e.g., wax or hot metal) into a cast or mold.
cloak	Cover with or as if with a cloak. Cloaked monks.
cloud	Darken the sky with cloud. Their faces were clouded with sadness.
complicate	Make something more complicated. There was a new development that complicated the matter.
conceal	Hold back; keep from being perceived by others. She conceals her anger well.
confuse	Cause to feel embarrassment. The constant attention of the young man confused her.
cover	Provide with a covering or cause to be covered. This should cover everyone in the group.
eclipse	Cause an eclipse of a celestial body by intervention. Jupiter was eclipsed by the Moon.
envelop	Enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering. A figure enveloped in a black cloak.
fog	Make (a film, negative, or print) obscure or cloudy. The windscreen was starting to fog up.
haze over	Harass by imposing humiliating or painful tasks, as in military institutions.
hide	Prevent (an emotion or fact) from being apparent or known; keep secret. He used to hide out in a cave.
mantle	Cover like a mantle. A warm pink mounted to the girl s cheeks and mantled her brow.
mask	Cover the face with a mask. Mask the meat.
mist	Become covered with mist. Don t mist furry leaved plants such as African violets.
muddy	Cause to become muddy. The first year s results muddy rather than clarify the situation.
obfuscate	Bewilder (someone. The spelling changes will deform some familiar words and obfuscate their etymological origins.
obliterate	Mark for deletion, rub off, or erase. The special stamp should be placed on the left hand side and not be used to obliterate the postage stamp.
obnubilate	Make less visible or unclear. Their words obnubilate their intentions.
overcloud	Make dark, gloomy, or obscure. The darkness of the beginning overclouds the set.
overshadow	Cast a shadow upon. He was always overshadowed by his brilliant elder brother.
screen	Conceal protect or shelter someone or something with a screen or something forming a screen. Screen these samples.
shadow	Cast a shadow over. A hood shadowed her face.
shroud	Wrap or dress a body in a shroud for burial. The mystery which shrouds the origins of the universe.
veil	Cover with a veil. Cold mists veiled the mountain peaks.

Usage Examples of "Obscure" as a verb

• The distinction was obscured.
• The debate has become obscured by conflicting ideological perspectives.
• Grey clouds obscure the sun.
• None of this should obscure the skill and perseverance of the workers.
• The stars are obscured by the clouds.
• The big elm tree obscures our view of the valley.

Obscure as an Adjective

Definitions of "Obscure" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “obscure” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Not discovered or known about; uncertain.
• Remote and separate physically or socially- W.H.Hudson.
• Not clearly understood or expressed-Anatole Broyard- P.A.So.
• Hard to define; vague.
• Difficult to find.
• Not drawing attention.
• Not important or well known.
• Not famous or acclaimed.
• Marked by difficulty of style or expression.
• Not clearly expressed or understood.
• Dark or dim.
• Not clearly expressed or easily understood.
• Remote and separate physically or socially.

Synonyms of "Obscure" as an adjective (52 Words)

abstruse	Difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge. The professor s lectures were so abstruse that students tended to avoid them.
anonymous	Having no outstanding, individual, or unusual features; unremarkable or impersonal. An anonymous phone call.
apart	Remote and separate physically or socially. Existed over the centuries as a world apart.
arcane	Requiring secret or mysterious knowledge. Arcane procedures for electing people.
blurred	Indistinct or hazy in outline. The blurred distinctions between childhood and adulthood.
blurry	Perceived or remembered indistinctly. Vision may be hazy or blurry for a few days after surgery.
clouded	Made troubled or apprehensive or distressed in appearance. Sometimes one understood clearly and sometimes the meaning was clouded.
cloudy	(of liquids) clouded as with sediment. The pond water is slightly cloudy.
concealed	Hidden on any grounds for any motive. Concealed or hidden damage.
dark	Of a person having dark skin hair or eyes. Dark green.
doubtful	Not known with certainty. Of doubtful legality.
dubious	Morally suspect. He holds the dubious distinction of being relegated with every club he has played for.
esoteric	Confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle. A compilation of esoteric philosophical theories.
faint	(of a sight, smell, or sound) barely perceptible. A faint clue to the origin of the mystery.
foggy	Unable to think clearly; confused. She was foggy with sleep.
forgotten	Not noticed inadvertently. He was scolded for his forgotten chores.
fuzzy	Having a frizzy texture or appearance. Fuzzy fake fur throw pillows.
hazy	Indistinct or hazy in outline. The picture we have of him is extremely hazy.
hidden	Not accessible to view. Hidden dangers.
humble	Marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful. She came from a humble unprivileged background.
ill-defined	Poorly stated or described.
in doubt	Holding office.
inconsequential	Lacking worth or importance. They talked about inconsequential things.
inconspicuous	Not clearly visible or attracting attention. An inconspicuous red brick building.
indeterminate	(of a shoot) not having all the axes terminating in a flower bud and so potentially of indefinite length. Of indeterminate age.
indistinct	Not clearly defined or easy to perceive or understand. An indistinct memory.
inglorious	Not bringing honor and glory. Inglorious though the peasants may have been this is not synonymous with mute.
insignificant	Signifying nothing. Insignificant sounds.
isolated	Cut off or left behind. Tiny isolated villages remote from centers of civilization.
little known	Lowercase.
lowly	Of low birth or station (`base’ is archaic in this sense. A lowly corporal.
minor	Of a premise containing the minor term in a categorical syllogism. A minor poet.
misty	(of a person’s eyes) full of tears so as to blur the vision. The evening was cold and misty.
mysterious	(of a location) having an atmosphere of strangeness or secrecy. In its mysterious past it encompasses all the dim origins of life.
nameless	(of a child) illegitimate. His grandfather had been a nameless parentless child.
nebulous	In the form of a cloud or haze; hazy. Nebulous concepts like quality of life.
occult	Having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding. Occult lore.
recherché	Lavishly elegant and refined.
recondite	Difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge. The book is full of recondite information.
uncertain	Not established or confirmed. She spoke in no uncertain terms.
unclear	Not easy to see, hear, or understand. Users are still unclear about what middleware does.
undistinguished	Not worthy of notice. An undistinguished career.
unhonoured	Not given public praise or respect. His first rate performances were largely unhonoured.
unimportant	Lacking in importance or significance. The question seems unimportant.
unknown	Being or having an unknown or unnamed source. An unknown island.
unnoticeable	Not noticeable; not drawing attention- J.G.Cozzens. Her clothes were simple and unnoticeable.
unnoticed	Not noticed. A deliberate kick that went unnoticed by the referee.
unrecognized	Not having a secure reputation. Their contribution often goes unrecognized.
unrenowned	Not renowned.
unsung	Having value that is not acknowledged. Harvey is one of the unsung heroes of the industrial revolution.
vague	Thinking or communicating in an unfocused or imprecise way. Their descriptions of human behavior become vague dull and unclear.
veiled	Having or as if having a veil or concealing cover. A young girl with a veiled face.

Usage Examples of "Obscure" as an adjective

• An obscure village.
• A relatively obscure actor.
• An obscure family.
• I feel an obscure resentment.
• An obscure turn of phrase.
• The obscure light of dawn.
• His origins and parentage are obscure.
• Those who do not appreciate Kafka's work say his style is obscure.
• Obscure references to Proust.
• An obscure flaw.
• An impulse to go off and fight certain obscure battles of his own spirit.
• An obscure retreat.

Associations of "Obscure" (30 Words)

abstruse	Difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge. The professor s lectures were so abstruse that students tended to avoid them.
blur	Make unclear indistinct or blurred. In front of him the page blurred.
blurred	Unclear in form or expression. The camera caught only two blurred images.
blurry	Unable to perceive clear or sharp images. Vision may be hazy or blurry for a few days after surgery.
concealed	Hidden on any grounds for any motive. A concealed compartment in his briefcase.
convoluted	Highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious. Convoluted legal language.
elusive	Skillful at eluding capture. A cabal of conspirators each more elusive than the archterrorist.
esoteric	Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest. A compilation of esoteric philosophical theories.
faint	A spontaneous loss of consciousness caused by insufficient blood to the brain. Only a faint recollection.
hazy	Indistinct or hazy in outline. School leavers were often hazy about employment.
imprecision	The quality of lacking precision. All scientific measurements come with some degree of imprecision.
inconspicuous	Not prominent or readily noticeable. He pushed the string through an inconspicuous hole.
indefinite	Lasting for an unknown or unstated length of time. Plans are indefinite.
indistinct	Not clearly defined or easy to perceive or understand. His speech was slurred and indistinct.
invisible	Invisible exports and imports. Invisible rays.
nebulous	Lacking definition or definite content. A giant nebulous glow.
nuance	Give nuances to. Without understanding the finer nuances you can t enjoy the humor.
opaque	An opaque thing. Technical jargon that was opaque to her.
puzzling	Not clear to the understanding. A puzzling statement.
recondite	Difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge. Some recondite problem in historiography.
subtle	(of a mixture or effect) delicately complex and understated. A subtle difference.
subtlety	A subtle distinction, feature, or argument. You had to admire the subtlety of the distinctions he drew.
trivia	Details, considerations, or pieces of information of little importance or value. We fill our days with meaningless trivia.
unappreciated	Having value that is not acknowledged. She had been brought up in a family where she felt unappreciated and undervalued.
unclear	Not easily deciphered. The motive for this killing is unclear.
unknown	An unknown and unexplored region. She is a relative unknown.
unnoticeable	Not drawing attention. The reverberation will be so slight as to be unnoticeable.
unobtrusive	Not obtrusive or undesirably noticeable. A quiet unobtrusive life of self denial.
unsung	Having value that is not acknowledged. Unsung heroes of the war.
vague	Not clearly understood or expressed-Anatole Broyard- P.A.So. He had been very vague about his activities.