obscure

make less visible or unclear

• “The stars are obscured by the clouds”

make unclear, indistinct, or blurred

• “Her remarks confused the debate”
• “Their words obnubilate their intentions”

make obscure or unclear

• “The distinction was obscured”

make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing

• “a hidden message”
• “a veiled threat”

make difficult to perceive by sight

• “The foliage of the huge tree obscures the view of the lake”

not clearly understood or expressed

• “an obscure turn of phrase”
• “an impulse to go off and fight certain obscure battles of his own spirit” Anatole Broyard
• “their descriptions of human behavior become vague, dull, and unclear” P.A.Sorokin
• “vague...forms of speech...have so long passed for mysteries of science” John Locke

marked by difficulty of style or expression

• “much that was dark is now quite clear to me”
• “those who do not appreciate Kafka”

difficult to find

• “hidden valleys”
• “a hidden cave”
• “an obscure retreat”

not famous or acclaimed

• “an obscure family”
• “unsung heroes of the war”

not drawing attention

• “an unnoticeable cigarette burn on the carpet”
• “an obscure flaw”

remote and separate physically or socially

• “existed over the centuries as a world apart”
• “preserved because they inhabited a place apart” W.H.Hudson
• “tiny isolated villages remote from centers of civilization”
• “an obscure village”