Make Your Point > Archived Issues > OBFUSCATE
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If you're reading this, then you care about word choice, and you have a strong vocabulary, which I'm sure you wield for the powers of good, not evil.
The most evil thing you could do with a powerful vocabulary is use it to obfuscate.
That is: to hide your meaning, to confuse people, to keep them in the dark, to make things hard for them to understand, to make them figuratively dark--that is, t_n_br__s, or c_l_g_n__s--on purpose. That's so not cool.
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make your point with...
"OBFUSCATE"
This word has Latin roots that literally mean "to make dark in front of."
To obfuscate something is to make it hard to understand, as if you're making it dark and hard to see.
Pronunciation:
OB fuh skate
Part of speech:
Verb, usually the transitive kind: "they obfuscated the truth," "they obfuscated the difference between this and that."
Other forms worth knowing:
The most common ones are "obfuscated," "obfuscating," and "obfuscation."
And "obfuscators" are the things and people who make things hard to understand.
How to use it:
This word is serious and formal, with a negative tone.
Talk about people, gestures, words, phrases, publications and so on that obfuscate the truth; that obfuscate the complexities or nuances of something; that obfuscate real meanings, intentions, or expectations; that obfuscate how things really happen, etc.
You can also talk about people who just plain obfuscate: "When she should have clarified, she obfuscated."
examples:
"To keep castigating administrators is unfair and nonsensical and obfuscates the real issue, which is that the full-time faculty are reluctant at best to share resources."
— Daniel Julis, as quoted by Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, The Washington Post, 1 February 2019
"Substituting obfuscation for intrigue and complication for complexity, the show simulates narrative movement by yanking your chain."
— Troy Patterson, The New Yorker, 7 January 2019
has this page helped you understand "obfuscate"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "obfuscate" without saying "darken" or "make unclear."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "The advertisement focuses on _____, obfuscating _____."
Example: "The advertisement focuses on patients who were cured of their cancer, obfuscating how many were not."
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is "Inspired by, but in no way associated with, the game show Chain Reaction."
In each issue, try filling in both puzzles—the easier one and the tougher one—by supplying the terms to complete the chains.
From the previous issue:
An easier puzzle:
Insatiable
A_______
Suppressant
A tougher puzzle:
Sentient
B____
C__
Glances
Answers:
Insatiable
Appetite
Suppressant
Sentient
Being
Coy
Glances
Give these last ones a try today:
An easier puzzle:
Serendipitous
T_____
Chain
A tougher puzzle:
Thresh
G____
A______
Intake
review this word:
1. The opposite of OBFUSCATE is
A. INSPIRE.
B. ILLUMINATE.
C. ENTERTAIN.
2. We gazed outward, _____ obfuscating the skyline.
A. sunlight
B. smoke and fog
C. endless glass windows
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
If you're reading this, then you care about word choice, and you have a strong vocabulary, which I'm sure you wield for the powers of good, not evil.
"OBFUSCATE" This word has Latin roots that literally mean "to make dark in front of."
"To keep castigating administrators is unfair and nonsensical and obfuscates the real issue, which is that the full-time faculty are reluctant at best to share resources."
Explain the meaning of "obfuscate" without saying "darken" or "make unclear."
Fill in the blanks: "The advertisement focuses on _____, obfuscating _____."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. The opposite of OBFUSCATE is
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