Basic Details
Word: Obscurity
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: The state of being unknown or forgotten. It can also mean the quality of being hard to understand, or darkness.
Synonyms: anonymity, insignificance, vagueness
Antonyms: fame, prominence, renown, clarity
How to Spell Obscurity
Syllables: ob - scu - ri - ty
Tricky part: Obscure drops its e before ity, and the r stays single. Students sometimes write skur or add a second r.
Watch out for: obscurety, obskurity, obscurrity
Memory tip: Obscure loses its e before ity, just as pure becomes purity and secure becomes security.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The painter lived in obscurity and sold very few pictures.
Example 2: The obscurity of the instructions confused all of us.
Example 3: A single viral video lifted the young singer out of obscurity.
Fun Fact
Gregor Mendel's pea-plant experiments, now the base of genetics, were published in 1866 but stayed in obscurity until scientists rediscovered them in 1900.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word obscurity as it is used in the sentence:
After years of obscurity, the folk singer became a household name when her song spread across the internet.
a) insignificance
b) anonymity
c) fame
d) silence
Show answer
c) fame. Obscurity is being unknown; fame is being known by everyone.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word:
1. generocity 2. obscurity 3. curiousity 4. hostillity
a) readiness to give more than is expected
b) a strong wish to know or learn something
c) unfriendly or aggressive behaviour
d) the state of being little known or forgotten
Show answer
d) the state of being little known or forgotten. Curiosity drops the u of curious, hostility has one l in the middle, and generosity has an s.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
obscurrity
a) r
b) u
c) c
d) s
Show answer
a) r. Secure gives security with one r; obscure gives obscurity the same way.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A writer who died in obscurity was ____.
a) very rich and powerful
b) hardly known to the public
c) famous all over the world
d) a member of parliament
Show answer
b) hardly known to the public
2. The obscurity of a road sign makes it ____.
a) hard to read or understand
b) very large and bright
c) new and freshly painted
d) easy to follow
Show answer
a) hard to read or understand
