esoteric vs obscure

esoteric

adj
  • Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest, or an enlightened inner circle. 

  • Having to do with concepts that are highly theoretical and without obvious practical application; often with mystical or religious connotations. 

  • Confidential; private. 

noun
  • One who believes, or is an initiate, in esoteric doctrines or rites. 

  • An esoteric doctrine or treatise; esoteric philosophy. 

obscure

adj
  • Hidden, out of sight or inconspicuous. 

  • Dark, faint or indistinct. 

  • Difficult to understand. 

  • Not well-known. 

  • Unknown or uncertain; unclear. 

verb
  • To hide, put out of sight etc. 

  • To render obscure; to darken; to make dim; to keep in the dark; to hide; to make less visible, intelligible, legible, glorious, beautiful, or illustrious. 

How often have the words esoteric and obscure occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )