obscure
dark, hidden, unclear, or hard to understand
Root
- obscur / obscure: dark, covered, hidden, or hard to see
Obscure keeps the dark or covered image: the thing is there but hard to see.
The professor's obscure reference made half the class miss the point.
Obscure can describe a writer, a source, a detail, or a meaning. The shared feeling is low visibility: hidden, dim, or difficult to make out.