"obscure" meaning in English

See obscure in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /əbˈskjʊə(ɹ)/ [Received-Pronunciation], /əbˈskjɔː(ɹ)/ [Received-Pronunciation], /əbˈskjʊɹ/ [General-American], /əbˈskjɝ/ [General-American] Audio: en-us-obscure.ogg [US] Forms: obscurer [comparative], more obscure [comparative], obscurest [superlative], most obscure [superlative]
Rhymes: -ʊə(ɹ), -ɔː(ɹ), -ɜː(ɹ) 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. Etymology templates: {{root|en|ine-pro|*(s)ḱeh₃-}}, {{inh|en|enm|obscure}} Middle English obscure, {{der|en|fro|obscur}} Old French obscur, {{der|en|la|obscūrus||dark, dusky, indistinct}} Latin obscūrus (“dark, dusky, indistinct”), {{af|la|ob-|*scūrus|nocat=1}} ob- + *scūrus, {{der|en|itc-pro|*skoiros}} Proto-Italic *skoiros, {{der|en|ine-pro|*(s)ḱeh₃-}} Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃-, {{doublet|en|oscuro}} Doublet of oscuro Head templates: {{en-adj|er|more}} obscure (comparative obscurer or more obscure, superlative obscurest or most obscure)
  1. Dark, faint or indistinct. Synonyms (dark): cimmerian Synonyms (faint or indistinct): fuzzy Translations (dark, faint or indistinct): ⁧مُظْلِم⁩ (muẓlim) (Arabic), тъмен (tǎmen) (Bulgarian), мрачен (mračen) (Bulgarian), 不清楚 (bù qīngchu) (Chinese Mandarin), 陰暗 (Chinese Mandarin), 阴暗 (yīn'àn) (Chinese Mandarin), 模糊 (móhu) (Chinese Mandarin), temný (english: dark) [masculine] (Czech), nezřetelný (english: indistinct) [masculine] (Czech), duister (Dutch), obskura (Esperanto), hämärä (Finnish), obscur (French), ბუნდოვანი (bundovani) (Georgian), obskur (German), dunkel (German), vernebelt (German), finster (German), düster (German), undeutlich (German), unklar (German), unbestimmt (German), zweifelhaft (German), dahergelaufen (German), sötét (Hungarian), homályos (Hungarian), bizonytalan (Hungarian), oscuro (Italian), 朦朧とした (mōrō to shita) (alt: もうろうとした) (Japanese), 不明瞭 (fumeiryō) (alt: ふめいりょう) (Japanese), ស្រអាប់ (srɑ’ap) (Khmer), លឹម (lɨm) (Khmer), ព្រឹលៗ (prɨl-prɨl) (Khmer), 애매한 (aemaehan) (Korean), нејасен (nejasen) [masculine] (Macedonian), мрачен (mračen) [masculine] (Macedonian), замаглен (zamaglen) [masculine] (Macedonian), rehurehu (Maori), tāpōuri (Maori), myrkr (Old Norse), ciemny [masculine] (Polish), niewyraźny [masculine] (Polish), obscuro (Portuguese), obscur (Romanian), întunecos (Romanian), тёмный (tjómnyj) (Russian), нея́сный (nejásnyj) (Russian), сму́тный (smútnyj) (Russian), mirk (Scots), obscuro (Spanish), obscure (Suku), mörk (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-obscure-en-adj-dRXECGTG Disambiguation of 'dark': 70 30 0 0 0 Disambiguation of 'faint or indistinct': 81 9 2 2 6 Disambiguation of 'dark, faint or indistinct': 88 7 1 1 3
  2. Hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous. Synonyms (hidden, out of sight): occluded Translations (hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous): скрит (skrit) (Bulgarian), неясен (nejasen) (Bulgarian), 不顯眼的 (Chinese Mandarin), 不显眼的 (bù xiǎnyǎn de) (Chinese Mandarin), 不引人注意的 (bù yǐn rén zhùyì de) (Chinese Mandarin), verborgen (Dutch), huomaamaton (Finnish), piiloutunut (Finnish), unbedeutend (German), versteckt (German), verborgen (German), unsichtbar (German), schleierhaft (German), unbekannt (German), rejtett (Hungarian), nascosto [masculine] (Italian), oscurato [masculine] (Italian), ukryty [masculine] (Polish), mało znany [masculine] (Polish), obscur (Romanian), retras (Romanian), ascuns (Romanian), скры́тый (skrýtyj) (Russian), mirk (Scots)
    Sense id: en-obscure-en-adj-2maIW5dX Disambiguation of 'hidden, out of sight': 4 92 1 2 2 Disambiguation of 'hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous': 3 94 1 1 1
  3. Difficult to understand. Synonyms (difficult to understand): fathomless Translations (difficult to understand): ἀσαφής (asaphḗs) (Ancient Greek), неразбираем (nerazbiraem) (Bulgarian), hämärä (Finnish), vaikeaselkoinen (Finnish), sibyllin (French), unverständlich (German), homályos (Hungarian), zavaros (Hungarian), érthetetlen (Hungarian), kusza (Hungarian), confuso [masculine] (Italian), poco chiaro [masculine] (Italian), vago [masculine] (Italian), indistinto [masculine] (Italian), ambiguus (Latin), непоня́тный (neponjátnyj) [masculine] (Russian), нея́сный (nejásnyj) [masculine] (Russian), astrus (Welsh)
    Sense id: en-obscure-en-adj-tHWCb2UW Disambiguation of 'difficult to understand': 1 2 92 3 2 Disambiguation of 'difficult to understand': 1 2 92 3 2
  4. Not well-known. Synonyms (not well-known): enigmatic Translations (not well-known): неизвестен (neizvesten) (Bulgarian), obskuuri (Finnish), ismeretlen (Hungarian), jelentéktelen (Hungarian), obskúrus (Hungarian), малоизве́стный (maloizvéstnyj) (Russian)
    Sense id: en-obscure-en-adj-WkXfdIq8 Disambiguation of 'not well-known': 1 4 3 88 4 Disambiguation of 'not well-known': 1 3 3 89 4
  5. Unknown or uncertain; unclear.
    Sense id: en-obscure-en-adj-cQBQKOy0
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: dingy, ill-defined, secluded, inscrutable, esoteric, mysterious Derived forms: obscurable, unobscurable, obscureness Related terms: clare-obscure, clear-obscure, obscuration, obscurity

Verb

IPA: /əbˈskjʊə(ɹ)/ [Received-Pronunciation], /əbˈskjɔː(ɹ)/ [Received-Pronunciation], /əbˈskjʊɹ/ [General-American], /əbˈskjɝ/ [General-American] Audio: en-us-obscure.ogg [US] Forms: obscures [present, singular, third-person], obscuring [participle, present], obscured [participle, past], obscured [past]
Rhymes: -ʊə(ɹ), -ɔː(ɹ), -ɜː(ɹ) 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. Etymology templates: {{root|en|ine-pro|*(s)ḱeh₃-}}, {{inh|en|enm|obscure}} Middle English obscure, {{der|en|fro|obscur}} Old French obscur, {{der|en|la|obscūrus||dark, dusky, indistinct}} Latin obscūrus (“dark, dusky, indistinct”), {{af|la|ob-|*scūrus|nocat=1}} ob- + *scūrus, {{der|en|itc-pro|*skoiros}} Proto-Italic *skoiros, {{der|en|ine-pro|*(s)ḱeh₃-}} Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃-, {{doublet|en|oscuro}} Doublet of oscuro Head templates: {{en-verb}} obscure (third-person singular simple present obscures, present participle obscuring, simple past and past participle obscured)
  1. (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. Tags: transitive Synonyms (to render obscure, to darken, dim): becloud, bedarken, bedim, bemist Translations (to darken, make faint): затъмнявам (zatǎmnjavam) (Bulgarian), помрачавам (pomračavam) (Bulgarian), hämärtää (Finnish), obscurcir (French), verdunkeln (German), vernebeln (German), verunklaren (German), verwirren (German), oscurare (Italian), offuscare (Italian), whakarehurehu (Maori), zaciemnić (Polish), przesłonić (Polish), obscura (Romanian), întuneca (Romanian), затемня́ть (zatemnjátʹ) (Russian)
    Sense id: en-obscure-en-verb-mRUXHC5u Disambiguation of 'to render obscure, to darken, dim': 93 5 2 Disambiguation of 'to darken, make faint': 89 7 4
  2. (transitive) To hide, put out of sight etc. Tags: transitive Translations (to hide, put out of sight): piilottaa (Finnish), obscurcir (French), verschleiern (German), verdecken (German), verbergen (German), nascondere (Italian), occultare (Italian), caecō (Latin), ukryć (Polish), schować (Polish), ascunde (Romanian), oculta (Romanian), скрыва́ть (skryvátʹ) (Russian), пря́тать (prjátatʹ) (Russian), esconder (Spanish), ocultar (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-obscure-en-verb-dAaRngC~ Disambiguation of 'to hide, put out of sight': 8 86 6
  3. (intransitive, obsolete) To conceal oneself; to hide. Tags: intransitive, obsolete
    Sense id: en-obscure-en-verb-EgSWpYxA

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for obscure meaning in English (26.6kB)

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "clear"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "obscurable"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "unobscurable"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "obscureness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)ḱeh₃-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "obscure"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English obscure",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "obscur"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French obscur",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "obscūrus",
        "4": "",
        "5": "dark, dusky, indistinct"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin obscūrus (“dark, dusky, indistinct”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "ob-",
        "3": "*scūrus",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "ob- + *scūrus",
      "name": "af"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "itc-pro",
        "3": "*skoiros"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Italic *skoiros",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)ḱeh₃-"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃-",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "oscuro"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of oscuro",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "obscurer",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "more obscure",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "obscurest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most obscure",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er",
        "2": "more"
      },
      "expansion": "obscure (comparative obscurer or more obscure, superlative obscurest or most obscure)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "ob‧scure"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "clare-obscure"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "clear-obscure"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "obscuration"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "obscurity"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1892, Denton Jaques Snider, Inferno, 1, 1-2 (originally by Dante Alighieri)",
          "text": "I found myself in an obscure wood."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Dark, faint or indistinct."
      ],
      "id": "en-obscure-en-adj-dRXECGTG",
      "links": [
        [
          "Dark",
          "dark"
        ],
        [
          "faint",
          "faint"
        ],
        [
          "indistinct",
          "indistinct"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30 0 0 0",
          "sense": "dark",
          "word": "cimmerian"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 9 2 2 6",
          "sense": "faint or indistinct",
          "word": "fuzzy"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "muẓlim",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "⁧مُظْلِم⁩"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "tǎmen",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "тъмен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "mračen",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "мрачен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "bù qīngchu",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "不清楚"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "陰暗"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "yīn'àn",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "阴暗"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "móhu",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "模糊"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "cs",
          "english": "dark",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "temný"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "cs",
          "english": "indistinct",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "nezřetelný"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "duister"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "obskura"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "hämärä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "obscur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "bundovani",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "ბუნდოვანი"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "obskur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "dunkel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "vernebelt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "finster"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "düster"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "undeutlich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "unklar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "unbestimmt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "zweifelhaft"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "dahergelaufen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "sötét"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "homályos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "bizonytalan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "oscuro"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "alt": "もうろうとした",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "mōrō to shita",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "朦朧とした"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "alt": "ふめいりょう",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "fumeiryō",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "不明瞭"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "km",
          "lang": "Khmer",
          "roman": "srɑ’ap",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "ស្រអាប់"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "km",
          "lang": "Khmer",
          "roman": "lɨm",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "លឹម"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "km",
          "lang": "Khmer",
          "roman": "prɨl-prɨl",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "ព្រឹលៗ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "aemaehan",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "애매한"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "nejasen",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "нејасен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "mračen",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "мрачен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "zamaglen",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "замаглен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "rehurehu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "tāpōuri"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "non",
          "lang": "Old Norse",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "myrkr"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ciemny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "niewyraźny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "obscuro"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "obscur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "întunecos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "tjómnyj",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "тёмный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "nejásnyj",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "нея́сный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "smútnyj",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "сму́тный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "sco",
          "lang": "Scots",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "mirk"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "obscuro"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "sub",
          "lang": "Suku",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "obscure"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 7 1 1 3",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
          "word": "mörk"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1606, John Davies of Hereford, Bien Venu",
          "text": "the obscure corners of the earth",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous."
      ],
      "id": "en-obscure-en-adj-2maIW5dX",
      "links": [
        [
          "Hidden",
          "hidden"
        ],
        [
          "sight",
          "sight"
        ],
        [
          "inconspicuous",
          "inconspicuous"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "4 92 1 2 2",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight",
          "word": "occluded"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "skrit",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "скрит"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "nejasen",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "неясен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "不顯眼的"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "bù xiǎnyǎn de",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "不显眼的"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "bù yǐn rén zhùyì de",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "不引人注意的"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "verborgen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "huomaamaton"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "piiloutunut"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "unbedeutend"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "versteckt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "verborgen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "unsichtbar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "schleierhaft"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "unbekannt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "rejtett"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "nascosto"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "oscurato"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ukryty"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "mało znany"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "obscur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "retras"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "ascuns"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "skrýtyj",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "скры́тый"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 1 1 1",
          "code": "sco",
          "lang": "Scots",
          "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
          "word": "mirk"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2013-08-03, “The machine of a new soul”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847",
          "text": "The yawning gap in neuroscientists’ understanding of their topic is in the intermediate scale of the brain’s anatomy. Science has a passable knowledge of how individual nerve cells, known as neurons, work. It also knows which visible lobes and ganglia of the brain do what. But how the neurons are organised in these lobes and ganglia remains obscure.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "text": "an obscure passage or inscription; The speaker made obscure references to little-known literary works.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Difficult to understand."
      ],
      "id": "en-obscure-en-adj-tHWCb2UW",
      "links": [
        [
          "Difficult",
          "difficult"
        ],
        [
          "understand",
          "understand"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "word": "fathomless"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "nerazbiraem",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "word": "неразбираем"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "word": "hämärä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "word": "vaikeaselkoinen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "word": "sibyllin"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "word": "unverständlich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "asaphḗs",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "word": "ἀσαφής"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "word": "homályos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "word": "zavaros"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "word": "érthetetlen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "word": "kusza"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "confuso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "poco chiaro"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "vago"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "indistinto"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "word": "ambiguus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "neponjátnyj",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "непоня́тный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "nejásnyj",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "нея́сный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 3 2",
          "code": "cy",
          "lang": "Welsh",
          "sense": "difficult to understand",
          "word": "astrus"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Not well-known."
      ],
      "id": "en-obscure-en-adj-WkXfdIq8",
      "links": [
        [
          "well-known",
          "well-known"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 4 3 88 4",
          "sense": "not well-known",
          "word": "enigmatic"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 3 3 89 4",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "neizvesten",
          "sense": "not well-known",
          "word": "неизвестен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 3 3 89 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "not well-known",
          "word": "obskuuri"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 3 3 89 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "not well-known",
          "word": "ismeretlen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 3 3 89 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "not well-known",
          "word": "jelentéktelen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 3 3 89 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "not well-known",
          "word": "obskúrus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 3 3 89 4",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "maloizvéstnyj",
          "sense": "not well-known",
          "word": "малоизве́стный"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The etymological roots of the word \"blizzard\" are obscure and open to debate."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Unknown or uncertain; unclear."
      ],
      "id": "en-obscure-en-adj-cQBQKOy0"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjʊə(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjɔː(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjʊɹ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjɝ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʊə(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔː(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɜː(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-obscure.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/2a/En-us-obscure.ogg/En-us-obscure.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/En-us-obscure.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "dingy"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "ill-defined"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "secluded"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "inscrutable"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "esoteric"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "mysterious"
    }
  ],
  "word": "obscure"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)ḱeh₃-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "obscure"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English obscure",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "obscur"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French obscur",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "obscūrus",
        "4": "",
        "5": "dark, dusky, indistinct"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin obscūrus (“dark, dusky, indistinct”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "ob-",
        "3": "*scūrus",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "ob- + *scūrus",
      "name": "af"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "itc-pro",
        "3": "*skoiros"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Italic *skoiros",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)ḱeh₃-"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃-",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "oscuro"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of oscuro",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "obscures",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "obscuring",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "obscured",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "obscured",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "obscure (third-person singular simple present obscures, present participle obscuring, simple past and past participle obscured)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "ob‧scure"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "c. 1688', William Wake, Preparation for Death\nThere is scarce any duty which has been so obscured in the writings of learned men as this."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "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."
      ],
      "id": "en-obscure-en-verb-mRUXHC5u",
      "links": [
        [
          "darken",
          "darken"
        ],
        [
          "dim",
          "dim"
        ],
        [
          "hide",
          "hide"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(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": [
        {
          "_dis1": "93 5 2",
          "sense": "to render obscure, to darken, dim",
          "word": "becloud"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 5 2",
          "sense": "to render obscure, to darken, dim",
          "word": "bedarken"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 5 2",
          "sense": "to render obscure, to darken, dim",
          "word": "bedim"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 5 2",
          "sense": "to render obscure, to darken, dim",
          "word": "bemist"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "zatǎmnjavam",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "затъмнявам"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "pomračavam",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "помрачавам"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "hämärtää"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "obscurcir"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "verdunkeln"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "vernebeln"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "verunklaren"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "verwirren"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "oscurare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "offuscare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "whakarehurehu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "zaciemnić"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "przesłonić"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "obscura"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "întuneca"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 7 4",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zatemnjátʹ",
          "sense": "to darken, make faint",
          "word": "затемня́ть"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax",
          "text": "But Richmond[…]appeared to lose himself in his own reflections. Some pickled crab, which he had not touched, had been removed with a damson pie; and his sister saw, peeping around the massive silver epergne that almost obscured him from her view, that he had eaten no more than a spoonful of that either.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1961 December, “Planning the London Midland main-line electrification”, in Trains Illustrated, page 719",
          "text": "However, many people—including railwaymen—are only beginning to realise how great is the amount of civil engineering work necessary to achieve adequate clearances for high-voltage overhead equipment under bridges and tunnels; what is involved in the re-signalling needed to permit the increased throughput of traffic (in some places it is unavoidable, to afford better sighting of signals obscured by overhead electrical gear); [...].",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1994, Bill Watterson, Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat, page 62",
          "text": "I realized that the purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure poor reasoning, and inhibit clarity.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To hide, put out of sight etc."
      ],
      "id": "en-obscure-en-verb-dAaRngC~",
      "links": [
        [
          "hide",
          "hide"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To hide, put out of sight etc."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "piilottaa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "obscurcir"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "verschleiern"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "verdecken"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "verbergen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "nascondere"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "occultare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "caecō"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "ukryć"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "schować"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "ascunde"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "oculta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "skryvátʹ",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "скрыва́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "prjátatʹ",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "пря́тать"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "esconder"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "8 86 6",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
          "word": "ocultar"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To conceal oneself; to hide."
      ],
      "id": "en-obscure-en-verb-EgSWpYxA",
      "links": [
        [
          "conceal",
          "conceal"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, obsolete) To conceal oneself; to hide."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "obsolete"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjʊə(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjɔː(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjʊɹ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjɝ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʊə(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔː(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɜː(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-obscure.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/2a/En-us-obscure.ogg/En-us-obscure.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/En-us-obscure.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "obscure"
}
{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "clear"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "obscurable"
    },
    {
      "word": "unobscurable"
    },
    {
      "word": "obscureness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)ḱeh₃-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "obscure"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English obscure",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "obscur"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French obscur",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "obscūrus",
        "4": "",
        "5": "dark, dusky, indistinct"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin obscūrus (“dark, dusky, indistinct”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "ob-",
        "3": "*scūrus",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "ob- + *scūrus",
      "name": "af"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "itc-pro",
        "3": "*skoiros"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Italic *skoiros",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)ḱeh₃-"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃-",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "oscuro"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of oscuro",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "obscurer",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "more obscure",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "obscurest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most obscure",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er",
        "2": "more"
      },
      "expansion": "obscure (comparative obscurer or more obscure, superlative obscurest or most obscure)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "ob‧scure"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "clare-obscure"
    },
    {
      "word": "clear-obscure"
    },
    {
      "word": "obscuration"
    },
    {
      "word": "obscurity"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1892, Denton Jaques Snider, Inferno, 1, 1-2 (originally by Dante Alighieri)",
          "text": "I found myself in an obscure wood."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Dark, faint or indistinct."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Dark",
          "dark"
        ],
        [
          "faint",
          "faint"
        ],
        [
          "indistinct",
          "indistinct"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1606, John Davies of Hereford, Bien Venu",
          "text": "the obscure corners of the earth",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Hidden",
          "hidden"
        ],
        [
          "sight",
          "sight"
        ],
        [
          "inconspicuous",
          "inconspicuous"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2013-08-03, “The machine of a new soul”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847",
          "text": "The yawning gap in neuroscientists’ understanding of their topic is in the intermediate scale of the brain’s anatomy. Science has a passable knowledge of how individual nerve cells, known as neurons, work. It also knows which visible lobes and ganglia of the brain do what. But how the neurons are organised in these lobes and ganglia remains obscure.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "text": "an obscure passage or inscription; The speaker made obscure references to little-known literary works.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Difficult to understand."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Difficult",
          "difficult"
        ],
        [
          "understand",
          "understand"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Not well-known."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "well-known",
          "well-known"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The etymological roots of the word \"blizzard\" are obscure and open to debate."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Unknown or uncertain; unclear."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjʊə(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjɔː(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjʊɹ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjɝ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʊə(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔː(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɜː(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-obscure.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/2a/En-us-obscure.ogg/En-us-obscure.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/En-us-obscure.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "dark",
      "word": "cimmerian"
    },
    {
      "word": "dingy"
    },
    {
      "sense": "faint or indistinct",
      "word": "fuzzy"
    },
    {
      "word": "ill-defined"
    },
    {
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight",
      "word": "occluded"
    },
    {
      "word": "secluded"
    },
    {
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "word": "fathomless"
    },
    {
      "word": "inscrutable"
    },
    {
      "sense": "not well-known",
      "word": "enigmatic"
    },
    {
      "word": "esoteric"
    },
    {
      "word": "mysterious"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "muẓlim",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "⁧مُظْلِم⁩"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "tǎmen",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "тъмен"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "mračen",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "мрачен"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "bù qīngchu",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "不清楚"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "陰暗"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "yīn'àn",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "阴暗"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "móhu",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "模糊"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "english": "dark",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "temný"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "english": "indistinct",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "nezřetelný"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "duister"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "obskura"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "hämärä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "obscur"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "bundovani",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "ბუნდოვანი"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "obskur"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "dunkel"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "vernebelt"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "finster"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "düster"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "undeutlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "unklar"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "unbestimmt"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "zweifelhaft"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "dahergelaufen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "sötét"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "homályos"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "bizonytalan"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "oscuro"
    },
    {
      "alt": "もうろうとした",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "mōrō to shita",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "朦朧とした"
    },
    {
      "alt": "ふめいりょう",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "fumeiryō",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "不明瞭"
    },
    {
      "code": "km",
      "lang": "Khmer",
      "roman": "srɑ’ap",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "ស្រអាប់"
    },
    {
      "code": "km",
      "lang": "Khmer",
      "roman": "lɨm",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "លឹម"
    },
    {
      "code": "km",
      "lang": "Khmer",
      "roman": "prɨl-prɨl",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "ព្រឹលៗ"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "aemaehan",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "애매한"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "nejasen",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "нејасен"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "mračen",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "мрачен"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "zamaglen",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "замаглен"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "rehurehu"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "tāpōuri"
    },
    {
      "code": "non",
      "lang": "Old Norse",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "myrkr"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ciemny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "niewyraźny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "obscuro"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "obscur"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "întunecos"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "tjómnyj",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "тёмный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "nejásnyj",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "нея́сный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "smútnyj",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "сму́тный"
    },
    {
      "code": "sco",
      "lang": "Scots",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "mirk"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "obscuro"
    },
    {
      "code": "sub",
      "lang": "Suku",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "obscure"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "dark, faint or indistinct",
      "word": "mörk"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "skrit",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "скрит"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "nejasen",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "неясен"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "不顯眼的"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "bù xiǎnyǎn de",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "不显眼的"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "bù yǐn rén zhùyì de",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "不引人注意的"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "verborgen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "huomaamaton"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "piiloutunut"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "unbedeutend"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "versteckt"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "verborgen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "unsichtbar"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "schleierhaft"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "unbekannt"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "rejtett"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "nascosto"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "oscurato"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ukryty"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "mało znany"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "obscur"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "retras"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "ascuns"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "skrýtyj",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "скры́тый"
    },
    {
      "code": "sco",
      "lang": "Scots",
      "sense": "hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous",
      "word": "mirk"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "nerazbiraem",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "word": "неразбираем"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "word": "hämärä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "word": "vaikeaselkoinen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "word": "sibyllin"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "word": "unverständlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "asaphḗs",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "word": "ἀσαφής"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "word": "homályos"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "word": "zavaros"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "word": "érthetetlen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "word": "kusza"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "confuso"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "poco chiaro"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "vago"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "indistinto"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "word": "ambiguus"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "neponjátnyj",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "непоня́тный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "nejásnyj",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "нея́сный"
    },
    {
      "code": "cy",
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "sense": "difficult to understand",
      "word": "astrus"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "neizvesten",
      "sense": "not well-known",
      "word": "неизвестен"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "not well-known",
      "word": "obskuuri"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "not well-known",
      "word": "ismeretlen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "not well-known",
      "word": "jelentéktelen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "not well-known",
      "word": "obskúrus"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "maloizvéstnyj",
      "sense": "not well-known",
      "word": "малоизве́стный"
    }
  ],
  "word": "obscure"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)ḱeh₃-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "obscure"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English obscure",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "obscur"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French obscur",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "obscūrus",
        "4": "",
        "5": "dark, dusky, indistinct"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin obscūrus (“dark, dusky, indistinct”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "ob-",
        "3": "*scūrus",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "ob- + *scūrus",
      "name": "af"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "itc-pro",
        "3": "*skoiros"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Italic *skoiros",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)ḱeh₃-"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃-",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "oscuro"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of oscuro",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "obscures",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "obscuring",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "obscured",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "obscured",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "obscure (third-person singular simple present obscures, present participle obscuring, simple past and past participle obscured)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "ob‧scure"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "c. 1688', William Wake, Preparation for Death\nThere is scarce any duty which has been so obscured in the writings of learned men as this."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "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."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "darken",
          "darken"
        ],
        [
          "dim",
          "dim"
        ],
        [
          "hide",
          "hide"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(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."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax",
          "text": "But Richmond[…]appeared to lose himself in his own reflections. Some pickled crab, which he had not touched, had been removed with a damson pie; and his sister saw, peeping around the massive silver epergne that almost obscured him from her view, that he had eaten no more than a spoonful of that either.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1961 December, “Planning the London Midland main-line electrification”, in Trains Illustrated, page 719",
          "text": "However, many people—including railwaymen—are only beginning to realise how great is the amount of civil engineering work necessary to achieve adequate clearances for high-voltage overhead equipment under bridges and tunnels; what is involved in the re-signalling needed to permit the increased throughput of traffic (in some places it is unavoidable, to afford better sighting of signals obscured by overhead electrical gear); [...].",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1994, Bill Watterson, Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat, page 62",
          "text": "I realized that the purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure poor reasoning, and inhibit clarity.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To hide, put out of sight etc."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "hide",
          "hide"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To hide, put out of sight etc."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with obsolete senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To conceal oneself; to hide."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "conceal",
          "conceal"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, obsolete) To conceal oneself; to hide."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "obsolete"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjʊə(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjɔː(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjʊɹ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjɝ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʊə(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔː(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɜː(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-obscure.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/2a/En-us-obscure.ogg/En-us-obscure.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/En-us-obscure.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "to render obscure, to darken, dim",
      "word": "becloud"
    },
    {
      "sense": "to render obscure, to darken, dim",
      "word": "bedarken"
    },
    {
      "sense": "to render obscure, to darken, dim",
      "word": "bedim"
    },
    {
      "sense": "to render obscure, to darken, dim",
      "word": "bemist"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "zatǎmnjavam",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "затъмнявам"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "pomračavam",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "помрачавам"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "hämärtää"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "obscurcir"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "verdunkeln"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "vernebeln"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "verunklaren"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "verwirren"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "oscurare"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "offuscare"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "whakarehurehu"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "zaciemnić"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "przesłonić"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "obscura"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "întuneca"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zatemnjátʹ",
      "sense": "to darken, make faint",
      "word": "затемня́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "piilottaa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "obscurcir"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "verschleiern"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "verdecken"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "verbergen"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "nascondere"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "occultare"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "caecō"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "ukryć"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "schować"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "ascunde"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "oculta"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "skryvátʹ",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "скрыва́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "prjátatʹ",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "пря́тать"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "esconder"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to hide, put out of sight",
      "word": "ocultar"
    }
  ],
  "word": "obscure"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-03-12 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-03-01 using wiktextract (68773ab and 5f6ddbb). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.