OBSCURE meaning : 1. not known to many people: 2. not clear and difficult to understand or see: 3. to prevent…. Learn more. obscure (third-person singular simple present obscures, present participle obscuring, simple past and past participle obscured) (transitive) To render obscure ; to darken; to make dim; to keep in the dark; to hide; to make less visible, intelligible, legible, glorious, beautiful, or illustrious. quotations Overall, the word obscure conveys the idea of something being hidden, unclear, or unknown, requiring additional effort or investigation to uncover its meaning or significance. The meaning of OBSCURE is dark, dim. How to use obscure in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Obscure.