indistinctness
1
7.0
- noun
- /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋktnəs/
- Thus, I went to bed, and in a short time, woke and sat up, as has been long my custom, when I felt a confusion and indistinctness in my head, which lasted, I suppose, about half a minute.
Examples
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The past is precisely that which is beyond resurrection, possibly even recognition, as Johann Joachim Winckelmann well knew: "We have ... nothing but the shadowy outline left of the object of our wishes, but that very indistinctness awakens only a more earnest longing for what we have lost....
Academic text (2002) -
And and Milton's interest in moments of blurriness and a visual indistinctness suggests that the distinction between good and evil is is actually never that clear.
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The very indistinctness of Bruyas's accessory, its resistance to identification, constituted a silent challenge to the patron's power.
Academic text (2004) -
The photographer struggled to capture the scene due to the indistinctness of the fog.
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The artist embraced the indistinctness in her paintings, allowing viewers to interpret their own meanings.
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In his speech, the indistinctness of his words made it difficult for the audience to understand his message.
Synonyms
8
6.1
Lack of clear or exact meaning that makes things hard to understand
3
8.3
How hard something is to understand because it is unclear
2
4.5
A lack of clear detail in what you see or in a picture
1
5.8
A blurry picture or idea hard to see and understand
1
7.2
The state of having no clear shape or structure
1
2.5
A gentle light or view with blurred edges
1
4.4
A feeling of being confused and slow to think
1
6.9
Dark or dim so things are hard to see
1
9.9
A difficulty understanding handwriting, signs, or codes
1
9.5
A state of being very hard to notice
1
7.8
A quality of having no clear shape, form, or character
1
9.9
A situation where meaning is not clear or exact
1
6.1
A lack of any clear form, for example in ideas or art
1
2.3
A blade that is not sharp
1
8.6
Not clearly separate from something else
1
9.5
A lack of clear or exact meaning
1
7.7
A situation when something is hard to understand
Lack of clear detail that makes pictures or thoughts hard to understand
A cloudy state in water or a photo that makes it hard to see through
The state of being vague or not clear
Darkness or low light that makes things hard to see
A state in which something is impossible to see or tell apart
Antonyms
How Clear
Surface Forms
Morphology
indistinctness = indistinct (transparent) = in + distinct + ness
This is a standard noun formation from the adjective 'indistinct', meaning the state or quality of being indistinct.
Etymology
Indistinctness comes from the parts in- meaning 'not' and distinct meaning 'separate' or 'standing apart', the same root you see in distinguish. So indistinctness is literally 'not separate' — a lack of clear edges or features, which is why it means being unclear or hard to see or hear.