obscurity

/əbˈskjʊərəti/ (bre, ipa) · /əbˈskjʊrəti/ (ame, ipa) · /äb-ˈskyu̇r-ə-tē əb-/ (ame, mw)

obscurity — 名詞

1. a situation where someone or something is not known about by many people — for i

1.名詞B2
釋義

默默無聞

不為大眾所知或不受關注的狀態

a situation where someone or something is not known about by many people — for instance, a novelist whose books few people have ever read.

例句

After her hit song in 1995, the singer returned to obscurity.

1995 年憑藉暢銷歌曲走紅後，這位歌手又回到默默無聞的狀態。

returned to obscurity — collocation for becoming unknown again

For many years, the talented painter worked in obscurity, selling only two canvases.

那位才華洋溢的畫家一生大部分時間都默默無聞，只賣出兩幅畫。

同義詞
  • anonymity

    emphasises that the name is not known, often by choice

  • oblivion

    stronger — suggests being completely forgotten, often after being known

  • insignificance

    focuses on lacking importance rather than recognition

反義詞
  • fame

    the state of being widely known

  • prominence

    the state of being important and well-known

文法句型

obscurity + as subject/object

in/from/into obscurity

用法筆記

Frequently occurs in fixed phrases like 'fade into obscurity', 'rise from obscurity', and 'live/die in obscurity'. Always uncountable in this sense — do not use 'an obscurity' or a plural form.

常見錯誤

❌The singer lived in an obscurity for many years.
✅The singer lived in obscurity for many years.
💡obscurity is uncountable and does not take an article in this sense.
❌He rose from the obscurity to become a star.
✅He rose from obscurity to become a star.
💡no definite article is needed; 'obscurity' here is abstract and uncountable.

2. when writing, speech, or meaning is hard to follow because the message is not ma

2.名詞C1
釋義

晦澀難懂

意義不明確或難以理解的狀態

when writing, speech, or meaning is hard to follow because the message is not made clear or the subject is complex — for example, a legal contract that leaves readers confused, or a poem whose meaning nobody can agree on.

例句

The legal document was full of obscurity, confusing even the experienced lawyer.

這份法律文件充滿晦澀難懂的內容，連經驗豐富的律師都感到困惑。

full of obscurity — noun + adjective phrase collocation

When the professor removed the obscurity from her lecture, even the beginners understood.

教授用日常用語來消除演講中的晦澀之處，初學者也能聽懂。

removed the obscurity from — verb + noun + preposition pattern

同義詞
  • ambiguity

    specifically about having more than one possible meaning

  • vagueness

    suggests a lack of precision or detail

  • opacity

    dense, hard to penetrate with meaning, often in academic writing

反義詞
  • clarity

    the quality of being easy to understand

  • lucidity

    the quality of being expressed clearly

文法句型

obscurity + of + noun phrase

full of obscurity

用法筆記

Most common in formal or academic contexts when discussing texts, arguments, or explanations. Often modified by adjectives like 'deliberate', 'unnecessary', or 'relative'. The plural form 'obscurities' exists but is rare — prefer 'obscure passages' or 'unclear parts'.

常見錯誤

❌The report was full of obscurities.
✅The report contained many obscure passages.
💡the plural form sounds awkward; use a clearer alternative.
❌I don't like the obscurity of this sentence.' (in casual speech)
✅I don't understand this sentence.
💡in everyday conversation, use simpler phrasing.

3. a dark or shadowy condition in a place, usually because no light reaches it — fo

3.名詞B2
釋義

昏暗

因缺乏光線而顯得黑暗的狀態

a dark or shadowy condition in a place, usually because no light reaches it — for example, a cave where nothing can be seen, or a garden on a moonless night.

例句

The hikers could see nothing in the obscurity of the deep cave.

登山者在深洞的昏暗之中什麼也看不見。

in the obscurity of — prepositional phrase for dark location

A single candle was not enough to light the obscurity of the old attic.

一根蠟燭不足以照亮老閣樓的昏暗。

同義詞
  • darkness

    the general, everyday term for absence of light

  • gloom

    suggests a sad or threatening kind of darkness

  • shadowiness

    emphasises shapes being hard to distinguish

反義詞

文法句型

in the obscurity of + noun

peer into obscurity

用法筆記

Chiefly found in literary or descriptive writing. Less common in everyday speech than 'darkness' or 'gloom'. Often paired with a prepositional phrase specifying the dark location: 'the obscurity of the cave/forest/attic'.

常見錯誤

❌The obscurity of the room scared the child.' (when describing any ordinary dark room)
✅The darkness of the room scared the child.
💡use 'obscurity' only when the focus is on things being hard to see or hidden in the dark, not simply the absence of light.