unclear

Meaning

Adj

1. Ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation.
2. Not clearly or explicitly defined.
3. Not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable.
4. Not having a clear idea; uncertain.

Verb

To undo the process of clearing.

Synonyms

vague

obscure

indistinct

dim

cloudy

☁️

blurred

foggy

🌁

hazy

faint

fuzzy

ambiguous

indefinite

undecipherable

uncertain

indecipherable

dark

unreadable

imprecise

obscured

misty

ill-defined

dull

undefined

inarticulate

dubious

confused

😕

not clear

illegible

murky

garbled

unintelligible

equivocal

doubtful

unarticulated

unfamiliar

unreliable

unsure

wonder

equivoque

hard to see

not understandable

bifarious

not understood

unknown

either … or

approximate

black

borderline

chaotic

complicated

confusing

curious

darkly

dimness

doubt

foul

fouled

gloomy

hectic

inaccurate

incoherent

incomprehensible

indecisive

indistinctness

inexact

in question

light

loose

milky

muddled

muddy

nebulous

obscurity

opaque

questionable

suspect

suspicious

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ʌnˈklɪə(ɹ)/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: unclere

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: uunkloor

Cognate with Western Frisian: ûnklear

Cognate with Dutch: onklaar

Cognate with German: unklar

Cognate with Danish: uklar

Cognate with Swedish: oklar

In summary

From Middle English unclere, equivalent to un- + clear. Compare Saterland Frisian uunkloor (“unclear”), West Frisian ûnklear (“inoperative, broken”), Dutch onklaar (“out of order, defective, broken”), German unklar (“unclear”), Danish uklar (“unclear”), Swedish oklar (“unclear”).