obscure
Hard to find
Obscure describes things that are difficult to see, understand, or find.
An obscure passage in a text is hard to interpret; an obscure figure in history is little known.
Something hidden in shadow is literally obscure.
As a verb, to obscure is to conceal or make unclear: Fog obscured the road ahead.
His jargon obscured a simple argument.
Having multiple interpretations
- vagueUnclear, ill-defined
- nebulousUnclear and formless
- indistinctUnclear, hard to perceive
- murkyDark and unclear
opaque · hazy · fuzzy · imprecise · indefinite · unintelligible · incomprehensible · confusing
Puzzling and obscure
- arcaneUnderstood by few
- esotericAccessible to few
- abstruseDifficult to comprehend
- inscrutableImpossible to understand
mysterious · occult · recondite · hermetic · cabalistic · sphinxlike · impenetrable · mystifying
Not yet discovered
- unrememberedNot kept in mind
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
- neglectedNot given proper attention
- unheard-ofLacking any precedent
minor · unsung · uncelebrated · anonymous · nameless · inconspicuous · unrecognized · unnoticed
Made invisible deliberately
- camouflagedVisually hidden by coloring
- buriedPlaced beneath earth
- veiledConcealed or obscured
- shroudedCovered and hidden
cloaked · disguised · masked · tucked · secluded · secreted · stashed · covert
Specialized professional vocabulary
- specializedAdapted for particular function
- academicRelating to education or theory
- scholarlyMarked by serious learning
- eruditeProfoundly knowledgeable
learned · pedantic · dense · rarefied · inaccessible · highbrow · niche · terminology
ambiguous
Having multiple interpretations
- vagueUnclear, ill-defined
- nebulousUnclear and formless
- indistinctUnclear, hard to perceive
murky · opaque · hazy · fuzzy · imprecise · indefinite · unintelligible · incomprehensible · confusing · muddled
enigmatic
Puzzling and obscure
inscrutable · mysterious · occult · recondite · hermetic · cabalistic · sphinxlike · impenetrable · mystifying · puzzling
unknown
Not yet discovered
- unrememberedNot kept in mind
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
- neglectedNot given proper attention
unheard-of · minor · unsung · uncelebrated · anonymous · nameless · inconspicuous · unrecognized · unnoticed · undistinguished
concealed
Made invisible deliberately
- camouflagedVisually hidden by coloring
- buriedPlaced beneath earth
- veiledConcealed or obscured
shrouded · cloaked · disguised · masked · tucked · secluded · secreted · stashed · covert · invisible
jargon
Specialized professional vocabulary
- specializedAdapted for particular function
- academicRelating to education or theory
- scholarlyMarked by serious learning
erudite · learned · pedantic · dense · rarefied · inaccessible · highbrow · niche · terminology · legalese
- cover-upscover up, conceal, hush up, suppress, whitewash
- Perception Qualitiesclarity, sharpness, vividness, brightness, loudness
- concealmentconceal, hiding, concealing, concealed, hide
- darkening wordsdim, fade, shadow, shade, blacken
- Darknessblackness, pitch black, pitch-black, inkiness, murk
- mysteriousmysterious, cryptic, enigmatic, arcane, puzzling
obscureclear
Without obstruction or fog
obvious · plain · lucid · explicit · unambiguous
obscurefamous
Widely known, much recognized
well-known · renowned · prominent · notable · distinguished
obscurevisible
Able to be seen
bright · clear · distinct · conspicuous · illuminated
- obscure originsUnclear source or ancestry
obscured, obscurity, obscuring, obscurely, obscureness, obscures, obscurities, obscurer, obscurantism