1
Little known
Known only to a small group rather than recognised by the wider public.
Example
The essay examines an obscure episode in maritime history.
obscure
/əbˈskjʊər/ · ub-SKYOORadjective
Not well known or difficult to understand.
Use obscure for a person, reference, subject, or meaning that remains little known, hidden, or hard to understand.
What obscure Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Difficult to understand
Expressed or organised in a way that makes the intended meaning hard to identify.
Example
Several obscure references prevented readers from following the argument.
3
Hard to perceive
Not clearly visible or discernible because it is hidden, faint, or blocked.
Example
Clouds made the mountain's outline obscure at dawn.
Use obscure Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The essay examines an obscure episode in maritime history.
The manuscript mentions an obscure regional custom known today only to a handful of specialists.
Without a glossary, the poem's obscure references may puzzle modern readers.
Precision Matters
Obscure overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
obscure
vs.Often means known to few people rather than to none.
unknown
May mean completely unidentified or not known at all.
obscure
vs.May be difficult because it is unfamiliar, hidden, or complex.
nebulous
Specifically lacks clear definition or boundaries.
obscure
vs.May yield no clear meaning to the reader.
ambiguous
Supports two or more distinct reasonable interpretations.
obscure
vs.May simply be little known without being intended for specialists.
esoteric
Is understood mainly by a small group with specialised knowledge.
Test obscure in Context
The custom is known, but only within a very small specialist audience.
1
The manuscript describes a regional harvest ritual that survives in no other source and is known today only to a handful of specialists, making the custom remarkably obscure.
As used in the text, “obscure” most nearly means…