What's the difference between obscure and vague?

Obscure


Definition:

  • (superl.) Covered over, shaded, or darkened; destitute of light; imperfectly illuminated; dusky; dim.
  • (superl.) Of or pertaining to darkness or night; inconspicuous to the sight; indistinctly seen; hidden; retired; remote from observation; unnoticed.
  • (superl.) Not noticeable; humble; mean.
  • (superl.) Not easily understood; not clear or legible; abstruse or blind; as, an obscure passage or inscription.
  • (superl.) Not clear, full, or distinct; clouded; imperfect; as, an obscure view of remote objects.
  • (a.) 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.
  • (v. i.) To conceal one's self; to hide; to keep dark.
  • (n.) Obscurity.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) This diagnosis was obscured by the absence of cutaneous, oropharyngeal, and respiratory involvement.
  • (2) The mechanism of ACTH action on brain catecholamine metabolism is still obscure, however, an increased release of the NA to ACTH peptides is very likely in the light of the present observations.
  • (3) However, peptide bonds between 193 and 194, and 194 and 195 were cleaved in the presence of mAb 1C3 as easily as in the presence of mAb 31A4, suggesting that the region of residues 200 to 202 was obscured by, or within the antibody binding site, but that the region of residues 193 to 195 was not.
  • (4) The physician's approach to the differential diagnosis of obscure, atypical pneumonias has changed.
  • (5) The thigh and hip manifestations can obscure the primary intra-abdominal process either due to the obvious emphysema or to the obtunded abdominal signs secondary to associated neuropathy.
  • (6) While tonic pupil and reduced sweating can be attributed to the affection of postganglionic cholinergic parasympathetic and sympathetic fibres projecting to the iris and sweat glands, respectively, the pathogenesis of diminished or lost tendon jerks remains obscure.
  • (7) It is found that generic averages obscure some rather substantial differences at the species level for both Cercopithecus and Cercocebus.
  • (8) Although the pathophysiology of the pancreatic injury is obscure, the lack of other etiological factors and temporal association of the pancreatitis with acetaminophen-induced hepatic and renal toxicity suggest a causal relationship.
  • (9) Because reticulocytes contain a pool of uncombined alpha chains which might have obscured the demonstration of an alpha chain-dependent mechanism for beta-chain synthesis, subsequent studies were done with bone marrow cells.
  • (10) However, the mechanism by which Ag II is able to modulate anterior pituitary secretion still remains obscure.
  • (11) Other causes were 20 (13%) with cerebrovascular diseases, 30 (20%) hepatic failure and 11 (8%) were of miscellaneous and obscure causes.
  • (12) In such a case with a large hematoma, the presence of a tumor may be obscured on CT scan and angiography.
  • (13) However, the difficulty still remains that the latter may be obscured by differences not related to thermostability etc.
  • (14) The activating mechanism of the condition still remains obscure.
  • (15) Its language is “archaic and obscure”, the commission says.
  • (16) Clofibrate, an antilipidemic drug that acts by a still obscure mechanism, is known to specifically increase up to 30-fold the activity of the hepatic cytochrome P-450 isozyme that omega-hydroxlates lauric acid.
  • (17) On the electron microscopy, the sarcomere was shortened and Z-line was partly obscure.
  • (18) Photographs of 82 boys from the Harpenden Growth Study were measured at ages 5 to 18 years, in an order that obscured which photographs were of the same boy at different ages.
  • (19) Although the K+ concentration of the contents of the GI tract as well as the K+ transport by the portal vein were increased, the source of the excess K+ remains obscure.
  • (20) The effects of long-term exposure of humans to formaldehyde, however, are more obscure.

Vague


Definition:

  • (v. i.) Wandering; vagrant; vagabond.
  • (v. i.) Unsettled; unfixed; undetermined; indefinite; ambiguous; as, a vague idea; a vague proposition.
  • (v. i.) Proceeding from no known authority; unauthenticated; uncertain; flying; as, a vague report.
  • (n.) An indefinite expanse.
  • (v. i.) To wander; to roam; to stray.
  • (n.) A wandering; a vagary.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) In view of its infrequent and vague presentation, care is required to avoid overlooking the diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis, particularly in the immigrant population.
  • (2) Congenital defect of a cervical pedicle produces a rare clinical syndrome with a characteristic X-ray picture associated with vague clinical signs often accentuated after trauma.
  • (3) Such an explanation not only remains vague and speculative but deserves criticism also for being incomplete.
  • (4) What are New York values?” he asked the crowd, alluding to Cruz’s vague denigration of those “liberal” values in a January debate.
  • (5) Chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder in which the abnormality in cellular immunity has remained only vaguely defined.
  • (6) The family physician who sees many children with vague abdominal pain must include peptic ulcer disease in the differential diagnosis.
  • (7) The remaining patients had vague pains, tender abdomen, constitutional symptoms or a mass in the abdomen.
  • (8) The system was "flawed" and the rules were "vague".
  • (9) The Japanese preferred alternative was to give a vague alternative diagnosis such as neurasthenia.
  • (10) Veering between a patronising video , a vague report and impenetrable financial data does not amount to openness and accountability.
  • (11) "In addition, the Department for Communities and Local Government [DCLG] has failed to provide the council with any cost estimates for the audit apart from the vague statement that costs are likely to be 'within £1m'.
  • (12) The diagnosis of leptospirosis is often difficult to make because of vague and mild symptoms.
  • (13) Since the day of action was announced, there has been a new mood in the group; some people talk somewhat vaguely about Tunisia and Egypt; mass protest is in the air.
  • (14) A case is reported where pneumoperitoneum developed after the surgical procedure with vague abdominal symptoms accompanied by fever and leukocytosis.
  • (15) This feature of ILC may also help explain why tumors may be palpable as areas of vague induration or thickening rather than as discrete masses.
  • (16) A 57-year-old man was admitted with the complaints of vague headache and left upper limb numbness.
  • (17) Polling suggests that people prefer the Conservatives on immigration because they expect them to be "tougher" in some vague, generic sense, rather than because they believe in their policies.
  • (18) As biological discharge phenomena evolve into vague psychological awareness, such an infant does not attain a sense of well-being, but rather attains a sense of "not-well-being" (Joffe and Sandler, 1965) which remains continuous or can be triggered--kindled--by any reactivating constellation, and the object is experienced as a source of unpleasure.
  • (19) The only time I see him in even vague bad humour is when a wardrobe assistant tries to neaten a dancer's hair.
  • (20) The concept of fuzzy sets was chosen for its ability to represent classes of objects that are vaguely described from the measured data.