obscure

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English obscure, from Old French obscur, from Latin obscūrus (“dark, dusky, indistinct”), from ob- +‎ *scūrus, from Proto-Italic *skoiros, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃-. Doublet of oscuro. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) (without the pour–poor merger) IPA(key): /əbˈskjʊə(ɹ)/ (pour–poor merger) IPA(key): /əbˈskjɔː(ɹ)/ (General American) IPA(key): /əbˈskjʊɹ/, /əbˈskjɝ/ Rhymes: -ʊə(ɹ), -ɔː(ɹ), -ɜː(ɹ) Hyphenation: ob‧scure === Adjective === obscure (comparative obscurer or more obscure, superlative obscurest or most obscure) Dark, faint or indistinct. Synonyms: (dark) cimmerian, dingy; (indistinct) fuzzy, ill-defined; see also Thesaurus:dark, Thesaurus:indistinct Antonyms: clear, distinct; see also Thesaurus:illuminated, Thesaurus:distinct 1892, Denton Jaques Snider, Inferno, 1, 1-2 (originally by Dante Alighieri) I found myself in an obscure wood. Hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous. Synonyms: occluded, secluded; see also Thesaurus:hidden Antonyms: clear, straightforward; see also Thesaurus:apparent Difficult to understand; abstruse. Synonyms: fathomless, inscrutable; see also Thesaurus:incomprehensible Antonyms: clear; see also Thesaurus:comprehensible Not well-known. Synonyms: enigmatic, esoteric, mysterious; see also Thesaurus:arcane Antonyms: accessible, open, well-known; see also Thesaurus:famous Unknown or uncertain; unclear. Synonyms: ignote, unascertained, undiscovered; see also Thesaurus:unknown Antonyms: clear, known; see also Thesaurus:familiar ==== Usage notes ==== The comparative obscurer and superlative obscurest, though formed by valid rules for English, are less common than more obscure and most obscure. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === obscure (third-person singular simple present obscures, present participle obscuring, simple past and past participle obscured) (transitive) To render obscure; to darken; to make dim; to keep in the dark; to hide; to make less visible, intelligible, legible, glorious, beautiful, or illustrious. Synonyms: becloud, bedarken, bedim, bemist Antonyms: belight, beshine; see also Thesaurus:illuminate c. 1688', William Wake, Preparation for Death There is scarce any duty which has been so obscured in the writings of learned men as this. (transitive) To hide, put out of sight etc. Synonyms: conceal, occult, secrete Antonyms: disclose, reveal, show; see also Thesaurus:reveal (intransitive, obsolete) To conceal oneself; to hide. Synonyms: hide out, keep a low profile, lie low Antonyms: appear, show up ==== Translations ==== === Further reading === “obscure”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “obscure”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. === Anagrams === Cuberos == French == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ɔp.skyʁ/ === Adjective === obscure feminine singular of obscur === Anagrams === courbes == Latin == === Adjective === obscūre vocative masculine singular of obscūrus === References === “obscure”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press “obscure”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers “obscure”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.