obnubilate
verb
transitive verb
Did you know?
The Political History of Obnubilate
The meaning of obnubilate becomes clearer when you know that its ancestors are the Latin terms ob- (meaning "in the way") and nubes ("cloud"). It's a high-flown sounding word, which may be why it often turns up in texts by and about politicians. This has been true for a long time. In fact, when the U.S. Constitution was up for ratification, 18th-century Pennsylvania statesman James Wilson used obnubilate to calm fears that the president would have too much power: "Our first executive magistrate is not obnubilated behind the mysterious obscurity of counsellors…. He is the dignified, but accountable magistrate of a free and great people."
Word History
Latin obnubilatus, past participle of obnubilare, from ob- in the way + nubilare to be cloudy, from nubilus cloudy, from nubes cloud — more at ob-, nuance
1583, in the meaning defined above
obnubilated
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- obscurantic
- shaded
- concealed
- beclouded
- undefined
- clouded
- indistinguishable
- shadowlike
- shrouded
- foggy
- bedimmed
- disguised
- cloudy
- faint
- fuzzy
- shadowy
- dim
- cloaked
- misty
- masked
- undetermined
- hazy
- muddy
- indistinct
- vague
- uncertain
- unclear
- questionable
- abstruse
- sphinxlike
- obscurant
- noncommittal
- esoteric
- indefinite
- ambiguous
- inexplicable
- befogged
- obfuscatory
- inexact
- incomprehensible
- impenetrable
- inscrutable
- indecipherable
- occult
- opaque
- mysterious
- recondite
- enigmatic
- invisible
- cryptic
- obscure
- mystic
- elliptical
- nebulous
- inexplicit
- dark
- eerie
- arcane
- equivocal
- intangible
- weird
- unknowable
- elliptic
- uncanny
- unanswerable
- enigmatical
- murky
- inappreciable
- impalpable
- eery
- confusing
- fuliginous
- confounding
- baffling
- perplexing
- double-edged
- deep
- mystifying
- puzzling
- unfathomable
- bewildering
- Delphic
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- accessible
- obvious
- clear
- nonambiguous
- plain
- unequivocal
- understandable
- unambiguous
- intelligible
- evident
- knowable
- distinct
- defined
- legible
- comprehensible
- strong
- certain
- bright
- sure
- determined
- direct
- pellucid
- firm
- visible
- fathomable
- explicit
- straightforward
- self-evident
- self-explanatory
- definite
- exact
- tangible
- palpable
- appreciable
- unmistakable
- patent
- blatant