obscure

/əbˈskjʊr/
adjectiveIntermediate hard to understand or see clearly
general

difficult to understand; unclear or ambiguous

The author's writing style is often obscure, making his books challenging to read.

The author's writing style is often unclear, making his books difficult to understand.

💡

Often used to describe language, meanings, or situations that are not easily comprehensible.

general

not well-known or widely recognized; hidden from view or attention

The artist gained fame after years of working in obscurity.

The artist gained fame after years of being unknown or unrecognized.

💡

Can refer to people, places, or things that are not prominent or well-known.

Collocations

obscure referencea reference that is difficult to understand or recognizeobscure meaninga meaning that is unclear or ambiguousobscure passagea section of text that is difficult to understand

💡Pro Tip

Common Usage

Often used to describe language, ideas, or situations that are not easily understood.

📖Word Origin

From Latin 'obscurus', meaning 'dark, dim, or unclear'.

📝Usage Notes

Can be used to describe both abstract concepts (e.g., ideas, meanings) and physical things (e.g., places, objects).

Word Breakdown

ob-
toward, against
prefix
+
-scure
dark, dim
root
English Dictionary