obscurity
noun
ob·scu·ri·ty äb-ˈskyu̇r-ə-tē 
əb-
plural obscurities
1
: one that is obscure
… peppered with quotes from … heavy hitters, as well as some downright obscurities.
Penelope Green
Penelope Green2
: the quality or state of being obscure
novels that have faded into obscurity
Synonyms
- ambiguity
- ambiguousness
- darkness
- equivocalness
- equivocation
- inscrutability
- inscrutableness
- murkiness
- mysteriousness
- nebulosity
- nebulousness
- obliqueness
- obliquity
- opacity
- opaqueness
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
In recent years, the tradition has emerged from obscurity. He has been living in relative obscurity in a small town in the mountains. After a promising first novel, she faded into obscurity.
Recent Examples on the Web Frucci, who played football and rugby at Hanover, acknowledges the obscurity of water skiing, especially in the Northeast. Matt Doherty, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Aug. 2022 The Bartletts and 27 others competed in relative obscurity. BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2022 All of this comes as belated but welcome recognition to Scott Speed, the American F1 racer who drove for Toro Rosso in 2007 and 2008, in relative obscurity in his home country. Steven Cole Smith, Car and Driver, 21 Aug. 2022 These two judges did groundbreaking work, in relative obscurity, to protect low-income debtors brought to court by predatory lenders. Ian Parker, The New Yorker, 4 July 2022 When Batchan was developing the idea for Lock & Key in relative obscurity, paying attention to Los Angeles’ cultural rhythms — at the dawn of nightlife’s speakeasy renaissance — was paramount to selecting the right location. Evan Nicole Brown, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 June 2022 The movement’s transitions—from obscurity to power; from the needs of the contemporary global poor to those of our distant descendants—have not been altogether smooth. Gideon Lewis-kraus, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022 Fisher, an actor who Snyder had plucked from obscurity to play Cyborg in Synder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, started speaking out against Whedon, the director who’d been hired to replace Snyder on Justice League back in 2017. Tatiana Siegel, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2022 Now, not even a Yeezy partnership can meaningfully lift it from obscurity. Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 July 2022 See More
Matt Doherty, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Aug. 2022 The Bartletts and 27 others competed in relative obscurity. BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2022 All of this comes as belated but welcome recognition to Scott Speed, the American F1 racer who drove for Toro Rosso in 2007 and 2008, in relative obscurity in his home country. Steven Cole Smith, Car and Driver, 21 Aug. 2022 These two judges did groundbreaking work, in relative obscurity, to protect low-income debtors brought to court by predatory lenders. Ian Parker, The New Yorker, 4 July 2022 When Batchan was developing the idea for Lock & Key in relative obscurity, paying attention to Los Angeles’ cultural rhythms — at the dawn of nightlife’s speakeasy renaissance — was paramount to selecting the right location. Evan Nicole Brown, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 June 2022 The movement’s transitions—from obscurity to power; from the needs of the contemporary global poor to those of our distant descendants—have not been altogether smooth. Gideon Lewis-kraus, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022 Fisher, an actor who Snyder had plucked from obscurity to play Cyborg in Synder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, started speaking out against Whedon, the director who’d been hired to replace Snyder on Justice League back in 2017. Tatiana Siegel, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2022 Now, not even a Yeezy partnership can meaningfully lift it from obscurity. Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English obscurite, borrowed from Anglo-French oscurté, obscurité, borrowed from Latin obscūritāt-, obscūritās, from obscūrus "dim, dark, imperfectly known, concealed from knowledge, incomprehensible" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at obscure entry 1
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
obscurity
noun
ob·scu·ri·ty äb-ˈskyu̇r-ə-tē
əb-
plural obscurities
1
: the state of being difficult to see or understand
2
: the state of being unknown or forgotten
He lived in obscurity.
3
: something that is difficult to understand
The poems are filled with obscurities.
obscurity
noun
1
as in ambiguity
the quality or state of having a veiled or uncertain meaning the 16th-century astrologer's predictions are so filled with obscurity that people can interpret them any way they want Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- ambiguity
- ambiguousness
- mysteriousness
- mystery
- murkiness
- darkness
- uncertainty
- opaqueness
- nebulousness
- inscrutability
- obliqueness
- complexity
- opacity
- nebulosity
- obliquity
- indistinctness
- dimness
- vagueness
- equivocation
- impenetrability
- incomprehensibility
- haziness
- depth
- mistiness
- equivocalness
- indefiniteness
- cloudiness
- faintness
- inscrutableness
- fogginess
- fuzziness
- obtuseness
- profoundness
- abstruseness
- shadow
- difficulty
- indirectness
- complication
- deepness
- circuity
- reconditeness
- shade
- incomprehensibleness
- circuitousness
- abstrusity
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- clarity
- plainness
- obviousness
- brightness
- clearness
- certainty
- intelligibility
- comprehensibility
- legibility
- distinctness
- lucidity
- perspicuity
- exactness
- visibility
- incisiveness
- definiteness
- openness
- surety
- explicitness
- directness
- incision
- straightforwardness
- tangibility
- readability
- forthrightness
- palpability
- self-evidence
- lucidness
- obviousness
- perspicuousness
- readableness
- tangibleness
2
as in oblivion
the quality or state of being mostly or completely unknown the singer languished in relative obscurity for years before becoming famous Synonyms & Similar Words
- oblivion
- silence
- anonymity
- namelessness
- nowhere
- facelessness
- insignificance
- invisibility
- nowheresville
- inconspicuousness
- unpopularity
- invisibleness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- fame
- notoriety
- renown
- reputation
- name
- celebrity
- popularity
- importance
- significance
- prominence
- character
- report
- repute
- favor
- glory
- greatness
- mark
- eminence
- note
- position
- distinction
- rep
- preeminence
- honor
- prestige
- stature
- recognition
- standing
- rank
- note
- praise
- acclaim
- superstardom
- cachet
- acknowledgment
- illustriousness
- megastardom
- acknowledgement
- adoration
- kudos
- idolization
3
as in mysteriousness
the quality or state of being impossible to know, understand, or explain her novels were favored by gullible critics who confuse obscurity with profundity Synonyms & Similar Words
- mysteriousness
- ambiguity
- impenetrability
- uncanniness
- inscrutability
- darkness
- profundity
- murkiness
- vagueness
- unintelligibility
- incomprehensibility
- numinousness
- inexplicability
- deepness
- abstruseness
- equivocality
- inscrutableness
- esotericism
- unknowability
- shadowiness
- equivocalness
- hermetism
- unanswerability
- unintelligibleness
- inexplicableness
- abstrusity
- reconditeness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- intelligibility
- understandability
- plainness
- transparency
- clarity
- obviousness
- straightforwardness
- self-evidence