Obscured
əbˈskjʊəd
Definitions
2 meaningsTo conceal or hide something, making it difficult to perceive or understand.
əbˈskjʊər
To conceal or hide from view.
The dense smoke obscured the burning building.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone's hiding something, like when the magician obscures the ball with their hands. It means to make it hard to see or know.
👶 For kids: To hide something so you can't see it.
More Examples
The trees obscured our view of the lake.
His evasive answers obscured his true intentions.
A veil of secrecy obscured the details of the project.
How It's Used
"The fog obscured the coastline."
"Political maneuvering obscured the truth."
To make something unclear, vague, or difficult to understand.
əbˈskjʊər
To make something unclear or indistinct.
The complex jargon obscured the meaning of the report.
💡 Simply: When something's obscured, it’s like when a confusing explanation obscures the truth. You can't easily understand what's going on.
👶 For kids: To make something hard to understand or see clearly.
More Examples
His anger obscured his judgment.
The dust had obscured the inscription on the tombstone.
The ambiguity in the law obscured its purpose.
How It's Used
"The author's complex prose obscured the narrative's meaning."
"Years of neglect had obscured the original artwork."
Synonyms & Antonyms
From Latin *obscurāre*, meaning 'to darken, make dim,' derived from *obscūrus*, 'dark, dim, obscure'.
Used since the late 14th century, initially referring to making something dark or dim; later, to make something unclear or hidden.
Memory tip
Think of a cloud obscuring the sun – it blocks our view.
Word Origin
"dark, dim"