obscure
-
(s) 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
-
(s) 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
-
(s) difficult to find
- hidden valleys
- a hidden cave
- an obscure retreat
-
(s) not famous or acclaimed
- an obscure family
- unsung heroes of the war
-
(s) not drawing attention
- an unnoticeable cigarette burn on the carpet
- an obscure flaw
-
(s) 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
Verbs
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(v) make less visible or unclear
- The stars are obscured by the clouds
- the big elm tree obscures our view of the valley
-
(v) make unclear, indistinct, or blurred
- Her remarks confused the debate
- Their words obnubilate their intentions
-
(v) make obscure or unclear
- The distinction was obscured
- (v) reduce a vowel to a neutral one, such as a schwa
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(v) make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing
- a hidden message
- a veiled threat