obfuscate

/ˈɒbfəskeɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɑːbfəskeɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈäb-fə-ˌskāt äb-ˈfə-ˌskāt, əb-/ (ame, mw)

obfuscate — verb

  • obfuscatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • obfuscateshe / she / it
  • obfuscatedpast simple
  • obfuscating-ing form

1. to use confusing language or extra detail so that a fact, message, or situation

1.動詞及物C2
釋義

to use confusing language or extra detail so that a fact, message, or situation becomes difficult to follow, often on purpose.

例句

The spokesperson tried to obfuscate the figures with vague talk about efficiency.

obfuscate facts with vague language

Liam's long email obfuscated who had approved the risky purchase.

obfuscate who/what happened in an explanation

同義詞
  • confuse

    more everyday; focuses on the result, not always on deliberate hiding

  • cloud

    often used for facts or judgement; suggests dimming rather than piling on detail

  • obscure

    formal and close, but can also describe blocking sight as well as meaning

反義詞
  • clarify

    make the meaning easier to see

  • explain

    state the point plainly so other people can follow it

文法句型

obfuscate the truth / issue / facts

obfuscate what happened

用法筆記

Object is usually information, language, motives, or the truth rather than a physical thing. Distinguish from sense 2 and sense 3: this broad sense is about making meaning hard to grasp, not hiding browsing behaviour or rewriting code.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher obfuscated the rule so beginners could learn it faster.
✅The teacher simplified the rule so beginners could learn it faster.
💡'obfuscate' means making something harder, not easier, to understand.
❌Please obfuscate the schedule for the parents.
✅Please clarify the schedule for the parents.
💡'obfuscate' has a negative sense of hiding the meaning.

2. to send fake searches, clicks, or other online signals so that websites and sear

2.動詞及物C2
釋義

to send fake searches, clicks, or other online signals so that websites and search engines build a false picture of you instead of your real behaviour.

例句

Quan obfuscated his search history by adding random health queries all week.

obfuscate browsing data with fake searches

The browser obfuscates Noor's location by mixing in fake map requests.

obfuscate location data with false requests

同義詞
  • mask

    broader — can hide exact data without flooding the web with fake activity

  • spoof

    narrower — often means faking one signal or identity rather than a whole pattern of behaviour

反義詞
  • track

    follow a user's real behaviour instead of muddying it

  • profile

    build the accurate user pattern that obfuscation tries to prevent

文法句型

obfuscate your data / searches / clicks

obfuscate web traffic with false signals

用法筆記

Object is usually a person's digital trail, such as searches, clicks, or location data. Distinguish from sense 1: here the target is online tracking systems, not human listeners or readers.

常見錯誤

❌She obfuscated her sister with fake photos.
✅She obfuscated her browsing data with fake clicks.
💡this sense targets trackers and search systems, not people in conversation.

3. to rewrite software into a form that still runs but is hard for people to read,

3.動詞及物C2
釋義

to rewrite software into a form that still runs but is hard for people to read, usually to hide how it works or to stop easy copying.

例句

Beatriz obfuscated the app before launch to hide its payment logic.

obfuscate an app before release

The team obfuscated the script, but Tunde still traced the security check.

obfuscated code remains runnable but harder to inspect

同義詞
  • minify

    shares the side effect of shorter code, but speed and size matter more than hiding meaning

  • scramble

    more informal; suggests rearranging code to make it harder to inspect

  • encrypt

    stronger — encrypted material cannot be read without decoding, while obfuscated code still runs normally

反義詞
  • deobfuscate

    reverse the process and make the code readable again

  • document

    do the opposite for human readers by making the code easier to follow

文法句型

obfuscate code / a script / an app

obfuscate JavaScript before release

用法筆記

Object is nearly always code, a script, an app, or a binary rather than user data. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense changes the program itself, while sense 2 changes the signals a user sends online.

常見錯誤

❌We obfuscated the bug before release.
✅We obfuscated the code before release.
💡obfuscating hides program structure; it does not repair an error.