Obscure vs. Vague — What's the Difference?

Deficient in light; dark

Of uncertain, indefinite, or unclear character or meaning

So faintly perceptible as to lack clear delineation; indistinct

Not clear in meaning or expression; inexplicit.

Indistinctly heard; faint.

Not thinking or expressing oneself clearly

(Linguistics) Having the reduced, neutral sound represented by schwa (ə).

Lacking definite shape, form, or character; indistinct

Far from centers of human population

Indistinctly felt, perceived, understood, or recalled; hazy

Out of sight; hidden

Not clearly expressed; stated in indefinite terms.

Not readily noticed or seen; inconspicuous

Not having a precise meaning.

Of undistinguished or humble station or reputation

Not clearly defined, grasped, or understood; indistinct; slight.

Not clearly understood or expressed; ambiguous or vague

Not clearly felt or sensed; somewhat subconscious.

To make dim, indistinct, or impossible to see

Not thinking or expressing one’s thoughts clearly or precisely.

To make difficult to discern mentally or understand

Lacking expression; vacant.

To diminish the stature of; overshadow or detract from

Not sharply outlined; hazy.

(Linguistics) To reduce (a vowel) to the neutral sound represented by schwa (ə).

Wandering; vagrant; vagabond.

Something obscure or unknown.

(obsolete) A wandering; a vagary.

Dark, faint or indistinct.

An indefinite expanse.

Hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous.

(archaic) to wander; to roam; to stray.

Difficult to understand.

To become vague or act in a vague manner.

Not well-known.

To make vague negative comments publicly; to make highly veiled complaints or insults.

Unknown or uncertain; unclear.

Wandering; vagrant; vagabond.

(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.

Unsettled; unfixed; undetermined; indefinite; ambiguous; as, a vague idea; a vague proposition.

(transitive) To hide, put out of sight etc.

Proceeding from no known authority; unauthenticated; uncertain; flying; as, a vague report.

To conceal oneself; to hide.

An indefinite expanse.

Covered over, shaded, or darkened; destitute of light; imperfectly illuminated; dusky; dim.

A wandering; a vagary.

Of or pertaining to darkness or night; inconspicuous to the sight; indistinctly seen; hidden; retired; remote from observation; unnoticed.

To wander; to roam; to stray.

Not noticeable; humble; mean.

Not clearly understood or expressed;

Not easily understood; not clear or legible; abstruse or incomprehensible; as, an obscure passage or inscription.

Not precisely limited, determined, or distinguished;

Not clear, full, or distinct; clouded; imperfect; as, an obscure view of remote objects.

Lacking clarity or distinctness;

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.

To conceal one's self; to hide; to keep dark.

Obscurity.

Make less visible or unclear;

Make unclear, indistinct, or blurred;

Make obscure or unclear;

Make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing;

Make difficult to perceive by sight;

Not clearly understood or expressed;

Marked by difficulty of style or expression;

Difficult to find;

Not famous or acclaimed;

Not drawing attention;

Remote and separate physically or socially;