Obscure
əbˈskjʊər
Definitions
2 meaningsNot discovered or known about; uncertain.
əbˈskjʊər
Not clearly expressed or easily understood.
The meaning of the ancient text was obscure.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're trying to understand a really complicated puzzle. If the instructions or the picture are hard to see or understand, then the puzzle is *obscure*. For instance: "The directions on how to assemble the furniture were so obscure that I couldn't figure it out!"
👶 For kids: When something is obscure, it's hard to understand or see, like when it's foggy outside or when someone is talking in a secret code.
More Examples
The artist's motives for creating the work remain obscure.
The information on the website was buried under obscure links.
How It's Used
"The poet's use of symbolism was often obscure."
"The professor's lecture was filled with obscure jargon."
To make something unclear and difficult to perceive or understand.
əbˈskjʊər
Keep from being seen; conceal.
The fog obscured the coastline.
💡 Simply: If you put a big blanket over something, you *obscure* it. It means you're hiding or blocking it from being seen. For example: "The smoke from the bonfire obscured the stars in the sky."
👶 For kids: To hide something so you can't see it, like when you put a blanket over a toy.
More Examples
The tall buildings obscured the sunlight.
The politician attempted to obscure his past mistakes.
How It's Used
"The trees obscured our view of the mountains."
"The artist obscured the face in the painting."
Synonyms
Ambiguous
Cryptic
Hidden
Blur
Cloud
Conceal
Cover
Hide
Mask
Idioms & expressions
obscure the facts
To deliberately make the truth difficult to discover; to hide the truth.
"The company tried to obscure the facts about the environmental damage they caused."
From Latin *obscurus* ('dark, dim, hidden').
Used in literature and academic writing to describe abstract concepts and hidden truths from at least the 16th century.
Memory tip
Think of a cloudy day—things are *obscure* because you can't see them clearly.