Synonyms of elliptical

elliptical

adjective

i-ˈlip-ti-kəl 

variants or elliptic

1

as in cryptic

having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning

the poet's elliptical style is such that the reader often senses that an allusion is being made—but to what exactly?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cryptic
• ambiguous
• enigmatic
• enigmatical
• dark
• mystic
• mysterious
• occult
• esoteric
• opaque
• deep
• inscrutable
• obscure
• nebulous
• fuliginous
• arcane
• murky
• equivocal
• Delphic
• eerie
• indirect
• uncanny
• vague
• shaded
• abstruse
• roundabout
• complex
• faint
• eery
• double-edged
• shadowy
• recondite
• indistinct
• foggy
• misty
• invisible
• cloudy
• puzzling
• fuzzy
• hazy
• noncommittal
• inexact
• incomprehensible
• concealed
• indefinite
• questionable
• indecipherable
• disguised
• obscurant
• undefined
• shrouded
• cloaked
• uncertain
• indistinguishable
• inexplicable
• sphinxlike
• complicated
• muddy
• clouded
• weird
• impenetrable
• masked
• obfuscatory
• dim
• unclear
• bedimmed
• circuitous
• inexplicit
• obtuse
• obscurantic
• undetermined
• confusing
• shadowlike
• perplexing
• unanswerable
• intangible
• unknowable
• beclouded
• baffling
• confounding
• mystifying
• difficult
• impalpable
• obnubilated
• inappreciable
• unfathomable
• bewildering
• befogged

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• plain
• clear
• obvious
• accessible
• unambiguous
• intelligible
• distinct
• unequivocal
• legible
• certain
• comprehensible
• bright
• evident
• understandable
• strong
• pellucid
• direct
• sure
• firm
• nonambiguous
• defined
• explicit
• knowable
• straightforward
• exact
• definite
• determined
• visible
• self-explanatory
• fathomable
• self-evident
• tangible
• appreciable
• unmistakable
• palpable
• blatant
• patent

2

as in oval

having the shape of an egg

the villa's marble pool is surrounded by an elliptic arrangement of ancient Greek statuary

Synonyms & Similar Words

• oval
• ovoidal
• ovoid
• ovate

3

as in concise

marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning

his elliptical replies can seem rude to some people, but that's just his way

Synonyms & Similar Words

• concise
• brief
• curt
• blunt
• epigrammatic
• aphoristic
• monosyllabic
• abrupt
• telegraphic
• pithy
• short
• laconic
• compact
• summary
• succinct
• terse
• capsule
• sententious
• crisp
• compendious
• abbreviated
• apothegmatic
• shortened
• thumbnail
• condensed
• brusque
• abridged
• meaty
• curtailed
• brusk
• meaningful
• snippy
• substantial
• snippety
• well-turned
• significant

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• circuitous
• diffuse
• redundant
• repetitious
• prolix
• wordy
• verbose
• rambling
• windy
• tautological
• enlarged
• circumlocutory
• long-winded
• exaggerated
• inflated
• expanded
• pleonastic
• supplemented
• tautologous
• embroidered
• embellished

Examples of elliptical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Egg, meanwhile, has maintained its elliptical shape. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 July 2024

Some of these are not on the page but come out of the elliptical conversations. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2024

The first is to take Dragon to an altitude much higher than previous flights — flying up to 870 miles above Earth on an elliptical orbit. —Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2024

Unlike Hubble, which traces a close, circular path around Earth, Chandra charts an elliptical orbit around Earth, traveling as close as 6,000 miles and as far as 86,400 miles from the Earth on its 64-hour orbit. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 24 July 2024