different between obscure vs slight
obscure
English
Etymology
From Middle English obscure, from Old French obscur, from Latin obsc?rus (“dark, dusky, indistinct”), from ob- +? *sc?rus, from Proto-Italic *skoiros, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)?eh?-.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /?b?skj??(?)/, /?b?skj??(?)/
- (General American) IPA(key): /?b?skj??/, /?b?skj?/
- Rhymes: -??(?), -??(?), -??(?)
- Hyphenation: ob?scure
Adjective
obscure (comparative obscurer or more obscure, superlative obscurest or most obscure)
- Dark, faint or indistinct.
- 1892, Denton Jaques Snider, Inferno, 1, 1-2 (originally by Dante Alighieri)
- I found myself in an obscure wood.
- His lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.
- 1892, Denton Jaques Snider, Inferno, 1, 1-2 (originally by Dante Alighieri)
- Hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous.
- 1606, John Davies of Hereford, Bien Venu
- the obscure corners of the earth
- 1606, John Davies of Hereford, Bien Venu
- Difficult to understand.
- Not well-known.
- Unknown or uncertain; unclear.
- The etymological roots of the word "blizzard" are obscure and open to debate.
Usage notes
- The comparative obscurer and superlative obscurest, though formed by valid rules for English, are less common than more obscure and most obscure.
Synonyms
- (dark): cimmerian, dingy; See also Thesaurus:dark
- (faint or indistinct): fuzzy, ill-defined; See also Thesaurus:indistinct
- (hidden, out of sight): occluded, secluded; See also Thesaurus:hidden
- (difficult to understand): fathomless, inscrutable; See also Thesaurus:incomprehensible
- (not well-known): enigmatic, esoteric, mysterious; See also Thesaurus:arcane
Antonyms
- clear
Derived terms
- obscurable
- unobscurable
- obscureness
Related terms
- obscurity
- obscuration
Translations
Verb
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.
- c. 1688', William Wake, Preparation for Death
- There is scarce any duty which has been so obscured in the writings of learned men as this.
- c. 1688', William Wake, Preparation for Death
- (transitive) To hide, put out of sight etc.
- 1994, Bill Watterson, Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat, page 62
- I realized that the purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure poor reasoning, and inhibit clarity.
- 1994, Bill Watterson, Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat, page 62
- (intransitive, obsolete) To conceal oneself; to hide.
- How! There's bad news. / I must obscure, and hear it.
Synonyms
- (to render obscure; to darken; dim): becloud, bedarken, bedim, bemist
Translations
Further reading
- obscure in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- obscure in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
Anagrams
- Cuberos
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?p.sky?/
Adjective
obscure
- feminine singular of obscur
Anagrams
- courbes
Latin
Adjective
obsc?re
- vocative masculine singular of obsc?rus
References
- obscure in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- obscure in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- obscure in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
obscure From the web:
- what obscure holiday is today
- what obscure means
- what obscure national holiday is it today
- what obscures the real reason for christmas
- what obscured
- what obscures the moon
- what obscure animal are you
- what obscure aesthetic are you
slight
English
Etymology
From Middle English slight (“bad, of poor quality, unimportant, trivial, slender, slim, smooth, level”), from Old English sliht (“smooth, level”), from Proto-Germanic *slihtaz (“slippery, flat, level, plain”), related to English slick. Cognate with Scots slicht (“bad, of poor quality”), West Frisian sljocht (“smooth, level, plain, simple”), Dutch slecht (“bad”), Low German slecht (“bad”), German schlecht (“bad”) and schlicht (“plain, artless, natural”), Danish slet (“bad, evil, poor, nasty, wrong”), Swedish slät (“smooth”), Norwegian slett (“even”), Icelandic sléttur (“even, smooth, level”).
Pronunciation
- enPR: sl?t, IPA(key): /sla?t/
- (US) IPA(key): [sl?l?????]
- Rhymes: -a?t
- Homophone: sleight
Adjective
slight (comparative slighter, superlative slightest)
- Small
- gentle or weak, not aggressive or powerful
- not thorough; superficial
- trifling; unimportant; insignificant
- 1741, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education & of the Conduct of the Understanding
- Some firmly embrace doctrines upon slight grounds.
- 1741, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education & of the Conduct of the Understanding
- (archaic or rare) not far away in space or time
- Synonyms: ignorable, meaningless, negligible, tiny; see also Thesaurus:tiny, Thesaurus:insignificant
- gentle or weak, not aggressive or powerful
- of slender build
- 1822, Sir Walter Scott, Peveril of the Peak
- his own figure, which was formerly so slight
- Synonyms: lithe, svelte, willowy; see also Thesaurus:slender
- 1822, Sir Walter Scott, Peveril of the Peak
- (regional) Even, smooth or level
- Synonyms: flat, glassy, slick; see also Thesaurus:smooth
- (especially said of the sea) still; with little or no movement on the surface
- (obsolete) Foolish; silly; not intellectual.
- Synonyms: daft, fatuous, soft in the head; see also Thesaurus:foolish
- (regional, obsolete) Bad, of poor quality.
- 1889 (first published), George Washington, Writings
- we frequently have slight Goods and sometimes old and unsaleable Articles
- Synonyms: flimsy, lousy, shoddy; see also Thesaurus:low-quality
- 1889 (first published), George Washington, Writings
- (dated) Slighting; treating with disdain.
- Synonyms: contemptuous, disdainful, scornful; see also Thesaurus:disdainful
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
slight (third-person singular simple present slights, present participle slighting, simple past and past participle slighted)
- (transitive) To treat as unimportant or not worthy of attention; to make light of.
- 1782, William Cowper, Truth
- the wretch who slights the bounty of the skies
- 1782, William Cowper, Truth
- (transitive) To give lesser weight or importance to.
- 1915, Josephine Turck Baker, Correct English (volumes 16-17, page 182)
- Incontiguously (accent on tig; the rest of the syllables slighted) means in an incontiguous manner.
- Synonym: belittle
- Antonyms: respect, value, esteem
- 1915, Josephine Turck Baker, Correct English (volumes 16-17, page 182)
- (transitive) To treat with disdain or neglect, usually out of prejudice, hatred, or jealousy; to ignore disrespectfully.
- 1833, Mary Shelley, The Mortal Immortal
- Though true of heart, she was somewhat of a coquette in manner; and I was jealous as a Turk. She slighted me in a thousand ways, yet would never acknowledge herself to be in the wrong. She would drive me mad with anger, and then force me to beg her pardon.
- Synonyms: contemn, despise
- Antonyms: respect, honor
- 1833, Mary Shelley, The Mortal Immortal
- (intransitive) To act negligently or carelessly. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- (transitive, military, of a fortification) To render no longer defensible by full or partial demolition.
- (transitive) To make even or level.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Hexham to this entry?)
- (transitive) To throw heedlessly.
Derived terms
- slightingly
Translations
Noun
slight (plural slights)
- The act of slighting; a deliberate act of neglect or discourtesy.
- Synonyms: ignoring, neglect, belittlement
- Antonym: respect
- 1793, Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
- Never use a slighting expression to her, even in jest; for slights in jest, after frequent bandyings, are apt to end in angry earnest.
- (obsolete) Sleight.
- For till that stownd could never wight him harme,
By subtilty, nor slight, nor might, nor mighty charme.
- For till that stownd could never wight him harme,
Derived terms
- put a slight upon
Translations
Further reading
- The Dictionary of the Scots Language
- The Dictionary of the Scots Language
- The Middle English Dictionary
Anagrams
- lights
Middle English
Etymology 1
From Old English sliht, from Proto-Germanic *slihtaz.
Alternative forms
- sli?t, slei?te, sle?t, slyght, sleght, sleight, sly?t
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /slixt/, /sl?xt/
- Rhymes: -ixt
Adjective
slight
- Level, even, smooth; having no bumps or lumps.
- (rare) Of little importance or relevance.
- (rare) Slim, narrow, skinny; of little breadth.
- (rare) Badly made, poorly-built, or low-quality.
Descendants
- English: slight
- Scots: slicht
- Yola: sleight
References
- “slight, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-12-12.
Etymology 2
Noun
slight
- Alternative form of sleight
Adjective
slight
- Alternative form of sleight
slight From the web:
- what slight means
- what light
- what lightsaber color am i
- what light from yonder window breaks
- what lights to use in fog
- what lightsaber color are you
- what light is best for sleep
- what lightsaber colors mean
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