OBSCURENESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does obscureness mean? 

• OBSCURENESS (noun)
  The noun OBSCURENESS has 3 senses:

1. the state of being humble and unimportant

2. the state of being indistinct or indefinite for lack of adequate illumination

3. the quality of being unclear or abstruse and hard to understand

  Familiarity information: OBSCURENESS used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OBSCURENESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The state of being humble and unimportant

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

humbleness; lowliness; obscureness; unimportance

Hypernyms ("obscureness" is a kind of...):

obscurity (an obscure and unimportant standing; not well known)

Derivation:

obscure (not famous or acclaimed)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The state of being indistinct or indefinite for lack of adequate illumination

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

obscureness; obscurity

Hypernyms ("obscureness" is a kind of...):

semidarkness (partial darkness)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The quality of being unclear or abstruse and hard to understand

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

abstruseness; obscureness; obscurity; reconditeness

Hypernyms ("obscureness" is a kind of...):

incomprehensibility (the quality of being incomprehensible)

Derivation:

obscure (not clearly expressed or understood)

obscure (marked by difficulty of style or expression)

 Context examples 

As Buck slid along with the obscureness of a gliding shadow, his nose was jerked suddenly to the side as though a positive force had gripped and pulled it.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)