as in esoteric
difficult for one of ordinary knowledge or intelligence to understand
you're not the only one who finds Einstein's theory of relativity abstruse
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Recent Examples of abstruse
To emphasize the importance of math, Winkler displayed a handful of abstruse equations.
—
Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 2 May 2025
The result is a topsy-turvy movie that is also spiritually profound in ways that the Marvel and DC franchises don’t dare but that became abstruse and chaotic in Snyder’s many Rebel Moon iterations.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 Mar. 2025
However, at the OXY ARTS gallery in Los Angeles, that abstruse portrait of Sagittarius A* looks a little different.
—Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 4 Jan. 2025
Tunnelling, meanwhile, is an abstruse turn on a classic skill exemplified by the finest Dodger pitcher of them all, Sandy Koufax.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for abstruse
Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 2 May 2025
The result is a topsy-turvy movie that is also spiritually profound in ways that the Marvel and DC franchises don’t dare but that became abstruse and chaotic in Snyder’s many Rebel Moon iterations.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 Mar. 2025
However, at the OXY ARTS gallery in Los Angeles, that abstruse portrait of Sagittarius A* looks a little different.
—Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 4 Jan. 2025
Tunnelling, meanwhile, is an abstruse turn on a classic skill exemplified by the finest Dodger pitcher of them all, Sandy Koufax.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for abstruse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstruse
Adjective
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Unfortunately, tenure, even in the best schools, gets rewarded to professors who write articles filled with complex math or esoteric theories in sociology and psychology.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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While the syntax of esoteric languages may be hard to understand, the actual programming stack is often wonderfully simple.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This is a period of profound adjustment for everyone at the club, to put it mildly.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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But their journey involves profound moments with their past and future, examining how the Mi’kmaw people, Indigenous to Nova Scotia, relate to the land and to each other.—
William Earl,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abstruse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstruse. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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