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unclear

unclear

207 3.9
Not easy to understand or know for sure
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈklɪr/
translation icon : poco claro
  • If the explanation remains unclear, please feel free to ask for clarification.
  • remain unclear
  • still unclear
  • often unclear

Ask me questions if this is unclear, right?

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Examples

  • Events in the internet cafe are still unclear today.

  • Ask me questions if this is unclear, right?

  • So right now it's unclear what will happen.

  • So the the long term future is unclear, but it's very interesting.

  • Nobody, nobody should ever be unclear on their own financial picture.

  • A lot of people are unclear what they want from life.

  • Exactly which part of the plan were you unclear on?

  • The precise details of the battle are unclear, though some things are known to us.

  • Our doctors are working ceaselessly but, at this time, it is unclear if he will survive.

  • Initially, it was unclear whether the killing would be classified as a lynching.

    Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

unintelligible
vsunclear
8.6

Not clear enough to understand

describes a less extreme problem of lacking clear meaning
indistinct
vsunclear
328 5.3

Not easy to see, hear, or understand

is about a general lack of clarity rather than weak sensory detail
confusing
vsunclear
276 3.2

Hard to understand and makes people feel unsure

is a broad lack of clarity rather than the feeling it causes
vague
vsunclear
230 4.6

Not clear or detailed so you are unsure what is meant

is about not being easy to understand rather than lacking detail
incomprehensible
vsunclear
46 8.8

Difficult or impossible to understand

is milder, meaning simply not easy to understand rather than impossible
obscure
vsunclear
28 8.2

Hard to understand because it is unclear or complex

is simpler, covering any lack of clear meaning not just complexity
incoherent
vsunclear
22 7.2

Said or written in a way that is hard to understand

is the same lack of clarity but focused on broken logical structure
unreadable
vsunclear
14 4.1

Hard or impossible to read

is broader, applying to meaning difficulties beyond legibility issues
opaque
vsunclear
14 8.0

Hard to understand or follow

is a wider term for general lack of clarity in many forms
cloudy
vsunclear
12 3.5

A thought that is not clear or detailed

is the broader problem of being hard to understand, not only fuzzy
nebulous
vsunclear
10 7.9

Unclear and hard to picture or describe

is a general difficulty understanding rather than shapelessness
hard to follow
vsunclear
9 6.4

Difficult to understand

is a general lack of clarity rather than a broken sequence
indecipherable
vsunclear
8 8.8

Too hard to read or understand

is about lack of clarity rather than complete unreadability
muddled
vsunclear
7 5.4

Confused and not in clear order so hard to understand

is a general lack of clarity, not only disorder in thought
ill-defined
vsunclear
5 6.5

Not clearly or exactly stated

is broader, covering any confusing or hard to make out cases
undecipherable
vsunclear
1 9.1

Very hard to read or understand

is a general difficulty understanding, not limited to text or code
unclarified
vsunclear
6.2

Not explained clearly for people to understand

refers to general lack of clarity beyond missing explanation
nonlucid
vsunclear
8.5

Difficult to understand

describes overall lack of clarity, not only poor expression
undelineated
vsunclear
9.5

Not clearly separated from other things and lacking clear edges

is the general absence of clarity rather than missing boundaries

Antonyms

1.0

Easy to understand and not confusing

1.0

Easy to see or understand

How Clear

obvious
1.0
clear
1.0
unclear
207 3.9
vague
230 4.6
obscure
28 8.2

Surface Forms

unclear positive
unclearer comparative
unclearly positive
unclearest superlative

Morphology

unclear = clear (transparent) = un + clear

The negative prefix 'un-' attaches to the adjective 'clear' to form the opposite meaning in a straightforward, productive way.

Etymology

Unclear is made of the little word un- meaning 'not' and clear meaning 'easy to see or understand', like a 'clear idea' or 'clear water'. So unclear simply means 'not easy to see or understand', which is why we use it for things that are confusing or hard to make out.