Obscure

Meaning

Obscure means difficult to understand, see, or know about because it is unclear, hidden, or not well known. It can also describe something that is not famous or important.

Pronunciation

/əbˈskjʊə(r)/

Word Forms

• Adjective: obscure
• Verb: obscure
• Noun: obscurity
• Adverb: obscurely

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

• obscure reference — a reference that is difficult for most people to understand or recognize.
• obscure detail — a detail that is difficult to notice or understand.
• obscure reason — a reason that is unclear or difficult to understand.
• obscure corner — a little-known or hidden place.
• obscure writer — a writer who is not widely known or famous.
• remain obscure — to remain unknown, unclear, or unnoticed.

Example Sentences

• The meaning of the poem remained obscure to most readers.
• She discovered an obscure reference to the event in an old newspaper.
• He became interested in obscure works of nineteenth-century literature.
• The village remained obscure for many years before tourists discovered it.
• The explanation was so obscure that nobody understood what he meant.

Literary Example

Example:

“There is this advantage in being poor obscure people like us—that these things are done for us in a rough and ready fashion.”

— Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure

Here, obscure means unknown, unnoticed, and without social importance or recognition. Jude uses the word to describe himself and Sue as people of humble social position whose lives attract little attention from the wider world.

Story Workshop

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