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Puzzle vs Obscurity - What's the difference?

puzzle | obscurity | Related terms |

As nouns the difference between puzzle and obscurity

is that puzzle is anything that is difficult to understand or make sense of while obscurity is darkness; the absence of light.

As a verb puzzle

is to perplex (someone).

puzzle

English

(wikipedia puzzle)

Noun

(en noun)
  • Anything that is difficult to understand or make sense of.
    • Where he went after he left the house is a puzzle.
  • A game for one person that is more or less difficult to work out or complete.
  • A crossword puzzle.
  • A jigsaw puzzle.
  • A riddle.
  • (archaic) Something made with marvellous skill; something of ingenious construction.
  • The state of being puzzled; perplexity.
    • to be in a puzzle

    Synonyms

    * (anything difficult to understand or make sense of ): anybody's guess, anyone's guess, conundrum, enigma, mystery * (game for one person ): brain-teaser, poser * (crossword puzzle ): crossword, crossword puzzle * (''jigsaw puzzle): jigsaw, jigsaw puzzle * (riddle ): guessing game, riddle

    Derived terms

    * Chinese puzzle * crossword puzzle * jigsaw puzzle * monkey puzzle * puzzle out * puzzle over * puzzled * puzzlement * puzzler * puzzling

    Verb

    (puzzl)
  • (label) To perplex (someone).
  • * (Henry More) (1614-1687)
    • A very shrewd disputant in those points is dexterous in puzzling others, if they be not thoroughpaced speculators in those great theories.
  • * (Joseph Addison) (1672-1719)
    • He is perpetually puzzled and perplexed amidst his own blunders.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1927, author= F. E. Penny
    • , chapter=4, title= Pulling the Strings , passage=The case was that of a murder. It had an element of mystery about it, however, which was puzzling the authorities. A turban and loincloth soaked in blood had been found; also a staff.}}
  • To make intricate; to entangle.
  • * (Joseph Addison) (1672-1719)
    • The ways of Heaven are dark and intricate, / Puzzled in mazes, and perplexed with error.
  • * (William Cowper) (1731-1800)
    • They disentangle from the puzzled skein.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * puzzled * puzzle out * puzzle over * puzzle through * puzzler * puzzling

    Related terms

    * puzzlement

    References

    ----

    obscurity

    English

    (wikipedia obscurity)

    Noun

  • (label) Darkness; the absence of light.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1907, author=
    • , chapter=6, title= The Dust of Conflict , passage=The night was considerably clearer than anybody on board her desired when the schooner Ventura headed for the land. It rose in places, black and sharp against the velvety indigo, over her dipping bow, though most of the low littoral was wrapped in obscurity .}}
  • * 1919 ,
  • *:I walked in, and Stroeve followed me. The room was in darkness. I could only see that it was an attic, with a sloping roof; and a faint glimmer, no more than a less profound obscurity , came from a skylight.
  • The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers)
    • , chapter=5, title= A Cuckoo in the Nest , passage=The departure was not unduly prolonged.
  • The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand.

    • Related terms

    * obscure