obscure

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /əbˈskjʊə(ɹ)/ See IPA manual

Freq #12198

Meanings

1

adj
Not known by many people.

The film is based on an obscure novel from the 1920s.
2

adj
Difficult to understand.

The instructions were so obscure that nobody could follow them.
3

verb
To make something hard to see, understand, or notice.

Thick clouds obscured the top of the mountain.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not known by many people. unknown arcane esoteric recondite

2 adj · difficult to understand. opaque unintelligible vague abstruse

3 verb · to make something hard to... conceal cloudbefoghide

Word family

Forms obscuredobscurenessobscurerobscuresobscurestobscuringunobscured

Derived forms obscurableobscurelyobscurementobscurenessobscurificationobscurifyobscurinobscurismobscuristreobscuresemiobscuresubobscure

Related forms clare-obscureclear-obscureobscurationobscurity

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.

*(s)ḱeh₃- Proto-Indo-European obscure Middle English obscur Old French obscūrus Latin *skoiros Proto-Italic

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Topics

Describing Qualities Senses & Perception

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# obscure

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj, verb
**IPA (US):** /əbˈskjʊə(ɹ)/
**Frequency rank:** 12198

## Meanings
1. Not known by many people.
2. Difficult to understand.
3. To make something hard to see, understand, or notice.

## Examples
- The film is based on an obscure novel from the 1920s.
- The instructions were so obscure that nobody could follow them.
- Thick clouds obscured the top of the mountain.

## Derived Forms
- obscurable
- obscurely
- obscurement
- obscureness
- obscurification
- obscurify
- obscurin
- obscurism
- obscurist
- reobscure
- semiobscure
- subobscure

## Related Forms
- clare-obscure
- clear-obscure
- obscuration
- obscurity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *(s)ḱeh₃-
- Root: obscure
- Root: obscur
- Root: obscūrus
- Root: *skoiros

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Obscure is 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. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix. In present-day use, it can mean not known by many people, or difficult to understand. Related forms include clare-obscure, clear-obscure, obscuration, obscurity. Derived formations include obscurable, obscurely, obscurement, obscureness, obscurification.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Senses & Perception

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