verb

obfuscate

OB-fuh-skayt

Obfuscate (verb) means to make something unclear or hard to understand, usually on purpose and in order to hide the truth. Example: “The report obfuscates the losses by burying them in an appendix.”

verb

To make something unclear or hard to understand, usually on purpose and in order to hide the truth.

"The report obfuscates the losses by burying them in an appendix."

"Stop obfuscating and tell us what the fee actually is."

technical In computing, to rewrite code or data so that it still works but is very difficult for a human to read, typically to protect it from copying or analysis.

"The JavaScript is minified and obfuscated before release."

How to Use Obfuscate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo make something confusing on purpose so people cannot see what is really going on.

When to use it

Formal, and usually critical: accusing someone of obfuscating is an accusation of bad faith.

Memory tip

The object is usually an abstraction — the issue, the facts, the truth — rather than a physical thing.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

obscure → confuse → obviate abstruse

Common pairings

obfuscate the issue deliberately obfuscate obfuscated code obfuscate the truth

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The report _____ the losses by burying them in an appendix.

Etymology

From Latin obfuscare "to darken", from ob- "over" and fuscus "dark, dusky".

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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obscure muddy cloud confuse befog scramble garble

Antonyms

clarify illuminate explain elucidate

Related Words

clear dark focus explain struggle describe fox unknown

Rhymes for obfuscate

ate date rate mate fate abate slate plate state grate create update

See all rhymes for obfuscate →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between obfuscate and obscure?

Obscure can be accidental and is often a state as well as an act — fog obscures a view. Obfuscate almost always implies deliberate effort to confuse, usually with words, and carries a clear note of blame.

How do you pronounce obfuscate?

OB-fuh-skayt, with the stress on the first syllable, and the f and s sounded separately. The noun is obfuscation, ob-fuh-SKAY-shuhn.

What does obfuscated code mean?

It is working source code that has been deliberately made unreadable — variable names replaced with meaningless strings, structure flattened — so that people cannot easily study or copy it. The computer runs it exactly as before; only human readers are affected.

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