obscure

Formsobscures, obscuring, obscured

1. 1
   little knownadjective

   Not known by many people.

   The band started out playing in obscure clubs in small towns.

   My uncle loves finding obscure facts about old movies.

   UsageMore obscure is much more common than obscurer.

   Similarunknown, little-known, forgotten, minor

   Oppositefamous, well-known, renowned, prominent

   Note
2. 2
   verbtransitive

   To hide something, or to make it harder to see or understand.

   Thick clouds obscured the moon all night.

   Tall trees obscure the view from our kitchen window.

   UsageOften obscured by: the moon was obscured by clouds.

   Similarhide, conceal, cloud, blur, mask

   Oppositereveal, clarify, expose

   Note
3. 3
   adjective

   Not clear, so it is hard to understand or to know for sure.

   Where the old song first came from is obscure.

   For reasons that are still obscure, the factory closed overnight.

   UsageOften remains obscure or is still obscure.

   Similarunclear, uncertain, unknown, mysterious, murky

   Oppositeclear, plain, obvious, evident

   Note
4. 4
   hidden awayadjective

   Hidden away, or not easy to notice.

   The cat slept in an obscure corner of the barn where nobody could find her.

   We finally found the key in an obscure pocket inside the bag.

   Similarhidden, secluded, remote, inconspicuous

   Oppositeconspicuous, prominent, visible

   Note
5. 5
   dimadjective

   Dark, or hard to see clearly.

   We could just see an obscure shape moving in the fog.

   In the dark, we could see only the obscure shape of a boat.

   Similardim, murky, shadowy, indistinct, faint

   Oppositebright, clear, distinct

   Note

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