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

Getty Images Why This Full Moon Looked Small June’s Strawberry Moon was a micromoon, which occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s apogee — the most distant point in its elliptical orbit around Earth. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

The movement, with an 80-hour power reserve and a frequency of 4 Hz, is also home to a perpetual calendar and an equation of time display, showing the difference between mean solar time, shown on the main dial, and true solar time, which fluctuates due to the Earth’s elliptical orbit. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 26 June 2026

The post-quantum algorithms replacing RSA and elliptic curve cryptography are based on problems that quantum computers have no advantage over classical computers in solving. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 23 June 2026

The folk hero makes a few elliptical appearances, along with the bluesmen, scholars, and Tin Pan Alley tunesmiths who shaped his legend. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026