obscure
/əbˈskjʊə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /əbˈskjʊr/ (ame, ipa) · /äb-ˈskyu̇r əb-/ (ame, mw) · /əbˈskjʊər/ (bre, ipa)
obscure — adjective
- obscurepositive
- more obscurecomparative
- most obscuresuperlative
1. describing a person, place, or work that very few people have heard of, so the n
describing a person, place, or work that very few people have heard of, so the name carries little fame or wider recognition.
Mei-ling collects records by obscure jazz singers from 1950s Taipei clubs.
obscure + [creative profession]: signals niche fame
The biography rescued an obscure poet from a century of silence.
rescue / save somebody from being obscure
Professor Lin once taught at an obscure college in rural Hokkaido.
Before her Olympic medal, Sara Chen was an obscure runner from Hualien.
Old film fans love digging up obscure horror movies on faded VHS tapes.
- little-known
more neutral and journalistic; a direct paraphrase without literary tone.
- unknown
stronger; suggests no fame at all rather than low fame.
- unsung
implies the person deserves more credit than they get.
- famous
widely admired by the general public.
- celebrated
publicly honoured for achievement.
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person, work, or place rather than an event. Often pairs with verbs of recovery (rescue, rediscover, dig up) when describing how a forgotten figure becomes known again.
常見錯誤
2. describing language, ideas, or images whose meaning is so tangled or hidden that
describing language, ideas, or images whose meaning is so tangled or hidden that a reader or viewer cannot easily work out what is being said or shown.
The poem's final stanza remains obscure even after three readings.
remain obscure: meaning resists effort
Tax rules in Taiwan can feel obscure to first-time freelancers.
obscure to + somebody (the audience who can't grasp it)
Hiroshi gave an obscure answer that left the whole panel puzzled.
For some obscure reason, the printer only works on Tuesday afternoons.
The teacher rephrased the obscure passage so the children could follow along.
文法句型
obscure to + somebody
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about clarity of meaning, not fame. Frequently used with abstract head nouns (passage, reasoning, allusion, reference); the fixed phrase 'for some obscure reason' marks the speaker's mild frustration at an inexplicable cause.
常見錯誤
obscure — verb
- obscurepresent simple I / you / we / they
- obscures3rd person singular
- obscuring-ing form
- obscuredpast simple
1. to stand or place something in front of an object, view, or sound so that people
to stand or place something in front of an object, view, or sound so that people can no longer see or hear it properly.
Thick monsoon clouds obscured the peak of Yushan all afternoon.
natural agent + obscured + landscape feature
A delivery van obscured the stop sign at the corner of Renai Road.
obscure a road sign / view: traffic context
Marcus held up his hat to obscure his face from the security camera.
The new tower will obscure the temple roof from anyone walking down the lane.
Heavy curtains obscured the candlelight inside the small chapel.
文法句型
obscure something (from somebody)
用法筆記
Subject is typically a physical thing (clouds, walls, vehicles, fabric); object is usually a sight or a faint sound. The 'from + somebody' pattern names the viewer or listener whose access is blocked.
常見錯誤
2. to add detail, jargon, or rhetoric that pulls attention away from a fact or argu
to add detail, jargon, or rhetoric that pulls attention away from a fact or argument, leaving listeners less able to grasp what is really going on.
The minister's long answer obscured the simple truth about the budget cut.
obscure the truth / fact / point
Heavy legal jargon obscures what the contract actually asks of new tenants.
abstract subject (jargon, language) + obscures + wh-clause
Dr. Tanaka warned that flashy charts can obscure weak research findings.
Loud arguments at the meeting obscured the real reason for the delay.
Her cheerful tone in the email obscured how worried she was about the test.
- clarify
make a point easier to grasp.
- illuminate
literary; throw fresh light on a difficult idea.
文法句型
obscure the fact / truth / point that...
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: here the object is abstract (truth, fact, meaning, reason), and the result is mental confusion rather than blocked vision. Often passive: 'the point was obscured by...'.
常見錯誤
obscure — noun
1. the state of being dim, hidden, or poorly known — used in old or literary writin
the state of being dim, hidden, or poorly known — used in old or literary writing as a poetic alternative to the more common noun 'obscurity'.
The hermit chose a life of obscure deep in the Yilan mountains.
literary substitute for 'obscurity'
After one bad novel, the author slipped back into obscure for many years.
into obscure: archaic phrasing
The lantern faded, and the cave fell into a soft obscure of grey stone.
Nineteenth-century poets sometimes wrote of the obscure of dawn over still lakes.
Through the obscure of the chapel, Brother Anselm could just make out the altar candle.
- fame
wide public knowledge of a person.
用法筆記
Almost never appears in modern prose; learners should recognise it in older texts but write 'obscurity' instead. Treat as a reading-only item, not a productive one.