Obnubilated

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɒbˈnjuːbɪleɪtɪd/

Definitions

1. Caused to become unclear, dim, or clouded in appearance or understanding
2. Rendered something difficult to see or comprehend by obscuring its clarity
3. Made indistinct or less visible, often by covering or confusing the original form

Etymology: "Obnubilated" is simply the past participle of "obnubilate," a verb formed from Latin "obnubilare," meaning "to cloud over" or "to becloud." The Latin root combines "ob-," meaning "over" or "against," with "nubilare," from "nubilus," "cloudy," which is related to "nubes," "cloud." So the word is literally a cloud laid over something, and English writers applied that image to the mind, eyes, or view. The English verb "obnubilate" follows the same pattern, and the participle "obnubilated" takes the regular "-ed" ending, the same way "clouded" or "dimmed" do. The sense has stayed close to the original picture: something is overcast so that it can no longer be seen or understood clearly.

Synonyms: obscured, clouded, dimmed

Antonyms: clarified, illuminated