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

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of elliptical

Because of its highly elliptical shape and long orbital period, opportunities to launch from the moon's south pole to rendezvous with Orion in NRHO open up just once a week. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 23 July 2026

Its orbit is slightly elliptical, averaging 151,450 km in radius. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 10 July 2026

Gidney and others then investigated a different form of encryption involving elliptic curve cryptography (ECC). — IEEE Spectrum, 7 July 2026

This test has now safely put the satellite in a stable Earth orbit of around 22,000 miles (35,800 km) from its delivery elliptical transfer orbit. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026