What is another word for enigmatic?
Synonyms for enigmatic
ˌɛn ɪgˈmæt ɪk; also ˌi nɪg-enig·mat·ic
This thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word enigmatic.
English Synonyms and Antonyms
enigmatic
Equivocal (Latin equus, equal, and vox, voice, word) denotes that which may equally well be understood in either of two or more ways. Ambiguous (Latin ambi, around, and ago, drive, lead) signifies lacking in distinctness or certainty, obscure or doubtful through indefiniteness of expression. Ambiguous is applied only to spoken or written statements; equivocal has other applications. A statement is ambiguous when it leaves the mind of the reader or hearer to fluctuate between two meanings, which would fit the language equally well; it is equivocal when it would naturally be understood in one way, but is capable of a different interpretation; an equivocal expression is, as a rule, intentionally deceptive, while an ambiguous utterance may be simply the result of a want either of clear thought or of adequate expression. That which is enigmatical must be guessed like a riddle; a statement may be purposely made enigmatical in order to provoke thought and study. That is doubtful which is fairly open to doubt; that is dubious which has become the subject of doubts so grave as scarcely to fall short of condemnation; as, a dubious reputation. Questionable may be used nearly in the sense either of dubious or of doubtful; a questionable statement is one that must be proved before it can be accepted. To say that one's honesty is questionable is a mild way of saying that in the opinion of the speaker he is likely to prove dishonest. Equivocal is sometimes, tho more rarely, used in this sense. A suspicious character gives manifest reason to be suspected; a suspicious temper is inclined to suspect the motives and intentions of others, with or without reason. Compare CLEAR.
Synonyms:
ambiguous, doubtful, dubious, enigmatical, equivocal, indefinite, indeterminate, indistinct, obscure, perplexing, questionable, suspicious, uncertainAntonyms:
certain, clear, distinct, evident, indisputable, indubitable, lucid, manifest, obvious, perspicuous, plain, unambiguous, unequivocal, unquestionable, unquestioned
Princeton's WordNet
enigmatic, enigmatical, puzzlingadjective
not clear to the understanding
"I didn't grasp the meaning of that enigmatic comment until much later"; "prophetic texts so enigmatic that their meaning has been disputed for centuries"
Synonyms:
puzzling, confusing, enigmatical, perplexing, oracularAntonyms:
comprehensible, comprehendible, unambiguousenigmatic, oracularadjective
resembling an oracle in obscurity of thought
"the oracular sayings of Victorian poets"; "so enigmatic that priests might have to clarify it"; "an enigmatic smile"
Synonyms:
puzzling, enigmatical, oracularAntonyms:
unambiguous, comprehensible, comprehendible
Dictionary of English Synonymes
enigmaticadjective
Synonyms:
obscure, mysterious, mystic, mystical, dark, occult, recondite, ambiguous, hidden, unintelligible, incomprehensible, puzzling, perplexing
PPDB, the paraphrase database
List of paraphrases for "enigmatic":
Words popularity by usage frequency
ranking | word | |
---|---|---|
#9735 | mysterious | |
#10949 | confusing | |
#11666 | uncertain | |
#13380 | obscure | |
#13890 | suspicious | |
#15385 | questionable | |
#16174 | intriguing | |
#17795 | ambiguous | |
#18828 | slippery | |
#20066 | doubtful | |
#22231 | indefinite | |
#23071 | dubious | |
#30028 | cryptic | |
#32410 | puzzling | |
#36208 | indeterminate | |
#37424 | enigmatic | |
#53854 | perplexing | |
#67973 | indistinct | |
#70807 | equivocal | |
#153073 | oracular |
How to use enigmatic in a sentence?
Homo naledi remains one of the most enigmatic ancient human relatives ever discovered, it is clearly a primitive species, existing at a time when previously we thought only modern humans were in South Africa. Its very presence at that time and in this place complexifies our understanding of who did what first concerning the invention of complex stone tool cultures and even ritual practices.
The charm of history and its enigmatic lesson consist in the fact that, from age to age, nothing changes and yet everything is completely different.
Human understanding very often remains enigmatic and motivations impenetrable. Many codes remain unbreakable, unless one has the unconditional key. ( " The unbreakable code " )
And out of this improvisation comes a moment that can't be part of a dance, it becomes more of a personal moment, a moment about expressive gestures. And they're often, I call them, enigmatic or ambiguous moments.
He’s enigmatic. He’s an actor, a dancer, a musician. He’s a tribal man, initiated in the tribal ways, he has a foot in both cultures. It’s an enormous strain on the man.
Translations for enigmatic
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- المبهمةArabic
- мистериозен, загадъченBulgarian
- enigmàticCatalan, Valencian
- rätselhaftGerman
- αινιγματικόςGreek
- enigmáticoSpanish
- enigmatikoBasque
- مبهمPersian
- arvoituksellinen, mystinenFinnish
- énigmatiqueFrench
- enigmáticoGalician
- रहस्यपूर्णHindi
- rejtélyesHungarian
- enigmaticoItalian
- 謎, 謎めいたJapanese
- ನಿಗೂಢKannada
- 수수께끼 같은Korean
- aenigmaticusLatin
- mįslingasLithuanian
- enigmaticOccitan
- enigmatycznyPolish
- enigmáticoPortuguese
- enigmaticRomanian
- загадочныйRussian
- zȁgonētan, tajànstven, enigmàtičanSerbo-Croatian
- enigmatiskSwedish
- muğlakTurkish
- 神秘Chinese
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