好词典

obscure

UK //əbˈskjʊə(r)//US //əbˈskjʊr//

词源

源自拉丁语 'obscurus',意为'黑暗的、隐藏的',由 ob-'覆盖' + -scurus'黑暗'组成。14世纪通过古法语进入英语。

adjective

❶ 指事物难以理解或辨认,通常因为信息不足、表达不清或被其他事物遮挡。

“The meaning of this ancient text is obscure to modern readers.”

(这篇古代文献的含义对现代读者来说晦涩难懂。)

“The details of the contract were written in obscure legal language.”

(合同细节用晦涩的法律术语写成。)

同义词:unclear, vague, ambiguous, cryptic, enigmatic

verb

❶ 使某物变得难以看见、理解或察觉,通常指故意隐藏或掩盖。

“The clouds obscured the sun.”

(云层遮住了太阳。)

“He tried to obscure the truth by giving false information.”

(他试图通过提供虚假信息来掩盖真相。)

同义词:hide, conceal, cover, mask, veil

常见短语

in obscurity — 指处于不为人知或默默无闻的状态,常用于描述人或事物未被广泛认识的情况。

“The talented writer lived in obscurity for most of his life.”

(这位有才华的作家一生大部分时间都默默无闻。)

obscure reference — 指难以理解或鲜为人知的引用,通常需要特定知识才能明白其含义。

“The joke contained an obscure reference to 18th-century literature.”

(这个笑话包含了一个对18世纪文学的晦涩引用。)