obscure
adj. · v.-
1 not well-known (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediatenot known by many people.
lacking fame or prominence; not widely known or celebrated.
ExampleThe library has a large collection of books by obscure poets from the 1800s.
ExampleThe researcher spent years tracking down an obscure legal document that had been misfiled in the local archives since the late nineteenth century.
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2 difficult to understand (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediatedifficult to understand because the meaning is not clear.
difficult to comprehend or interpret; lacking clarity in expression or meaning.
ExampleThe instructions were so obscure that I had to ask for help.
ExampleThe philosopher's later works are notoriously obscure, requiring extensive commentary for even advanced students to grasp the core arguments.
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3 hard to see (adj.) C1 Advanced Literarydifficult to see clearly because it is dark or hidden.
indistinct or faint to the sight; lacking sufficient light or sharpness to be clearly perceived.
ExampleWe could just see the obscure shape of a boat through the thick fog.
ExampleThe obscure outlines of the mountains were barely visible against the moonless sky, creating a sense of isolation for the travellers.
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4 to hide or cover (v.) B2 Upper Intermediateto cover something so that it is difficult to see or understand.
to conceal or hide by covering; to make something less visible or intelligible.
ExampleThe clouds moved across the sky and started to obscure the moon.
ExampleThe tall new office building will unfortunately obscure the historic cathedral's facade from this side of the river.
UsageThis is a transitive verb that always takes a direct object.
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.