Synonyms of abstruse

abstruse

adjective

əb-ˈstrüs 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• esoteric
• profound
• recondite
• ambiguous
• arcane
• scholarly
• hermetic
• confusing
• complicated
• deep
• academic
• mystical
• complex
• erudite
• enigmatic
• mystic
• mysterious
• cryptic
• inscrutable
• learned
• incomprehensible
• pedantic
• unintelligible
• perplexing
• unfathomable
• impenetrable
• uncanny
• baffling
• puzzling
• unknowable
• unanswerable
• confounding
• darkling
• hard
• disorienting
• orphic
• mystifying
• bewildering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• superficial
• shallow
• simple
• easy
• straightforward
• intelligible
• understandable
• comprehensible
• obvious
• facile
• apparent
• clear
• plain
• distinct
• evident
• transparent
• lucid
• manifest
• fathomable
• perspicuous
• clear-cut

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of abstruse

So his analysis may wobble here and there on the abstruse particulars of, say, inference costs. — Tommy Craggs, Wired News, 27 Oct. 2025

But the turn feels less absurd than abstruse, sudden even, given the film’s prior resistance to laugh at itself. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025

Also, his estimate arose from abstruse economic formulas and lots of magic asterisks. — Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025

Into Breaking Its Own Rules To emphasize the importance of math, Winkler displayed a handful of abstruse equations. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 2 May 2025

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