obscure
C1formal to neutral
Definition
Meaning
not well-known, difficult to see or understand
to conceal from knowledge or view; to make unclear or dark
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
"Obscure" is polysemous, covering concepts of physical darkness, lack of fame/clarity, and the action of concealing. The adjective is more frequent than the verb. The sense of 'not famous' often carries a connotation of being unjustly overlooked.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning. The verb 'obscure' is slightly more common in American news/media discourse regarding intentional concealment.
Connotations
Identical connotations in both dialects.
Frequency
Similar frequency in both corpora, with a slight edge in academic texts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Noun + obscure + Noun (The fog obscured the lighthouse)It + be + adjective + that-clause (It is obscure why she left)Adverb + obscure (deliberately obscure the truth)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(leave) in obscurity”
- “rise from obscurity”
- “obscure the issue”
- “an obscure corner”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used; can appear in 'obscure market forces' or 'to obscure financial data'.
Academic
Common in humanities and social sciences to describe little-known texts, theories, or historical figures.
Everyday
Used to describe unfamiliar bands, movies, or reasons; e.g., 'His motives are obscure.'
Technical
In meteorology: 'clouds obscure the summit'; in computing: 'obscure code'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The tall hedges obscured the view of the garden.
- He was accused of obscuring the facts in the report.
- Mist obscured the peaks throughout the morning.
American English
- Smoke from the wildfires obscured the sun.
- The administration was accused of trying to obscure the truth.
- His lengthy explanation only served to obscure the main point.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The sign was obscure and we got lost.
- He likes an obscure band.
- The origins of this tradition are obscure.
- The meaning of the old text remains obscure.
- The report was full of obscure references and jargon.
- They tried to obscure their involvement in the scandal.
- The philosopher's intentionally obscure prose challenges even expert readers.
- Legal technicalities should not be allowed to obscure the fundamental injustice of the case.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
"OBSCURE = OBSCurity + UnclEaR. If something is obscure, it's hidden in obscurity and unclear."
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWING IS SEEING / UNKNOWN IS DARK (e.g., 'His past is obscure,' 'an obscure period of history').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'странный' (strange). 'Obscure' means 'малоизвестный' or 'неясный'.
- The verb 'obscure' (затмевать, скрывать) is often mistranslated as 'закрывать' (to close).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'His answer was very obscure for me.' Correct: 'His answer was very obscure *to* me.'
- Incorrect: 'She obscured the secret.' (Over-translation; 'concealed' is better).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST likely meaning of 'obscure' in an academic context?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not inherently. It can be neutral (an obscure village) or negative (deliberately obscure instructions).
'Obscure' often implies something is hidden, little-known, or hard to find/see. 'Vague' implies a lack of precision or definiteness in something that is presented.
Rarely. The noun form is 'obscurity' ('live in obscurity'). 'The obscure' as a collective noun for unknown things is archaic.
Stress is on the second syllable: uhb-SKYOOR (US) / uhb-SKYOOR (UK). The 'sc' is pronounced like 'sk'.