variants also enigmatical
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word enigmatic different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of enigmatic are ambiguous, cryptic, dark, equivocal, obscure, and vague. While all these words mean "not clearly understandable," enigmatic stresses a puzzling, mystifying quality.

enigmatic occult writings

When could ambiguous be used to replace enigmatic?

In some situations, the words ambiguous and enigmatic are roughly equivalent. However, ambiguous applies to language capable of more than one interpretation.

an ambiguous directive

When is cryptic a more appropriate choice than enigmatic?

The meanings of cryptic and enigmatic largely overlap; however, cryptic implies a purposely concealed meaning.

cryptic hints of hidden treasure

In what contexts can dark take the place of enigmatic?

While in some cases nearly identical to enigmatic, dark implies an imperfect or clouded revelation often with ominous or sinister suggestion.

muttered dark hints of revenge

When can equivocal be used instead of enigmatic?

Although the words equivocal and enigmatic have much in common, equivocal applies to language left open to differing interpretations with the intention of deceiving or evading.

moral precepts with equivocal phrasing

When would obscure be a good substitute for enigmatic?

The synonyms obscure and enigmatic are sometimes interchangeable, but obscure implies a hiding or veiling of meaning through some inadequacy of expression or withholding of full knowledge.

obscure poems

Where would vague be a reasonable alternative to enigmatic?

The words vague and enigmatic can be used in similar contexts, but vague implies a lack of clear formulation due to inadequate conception or consideration.

a vague sense of obligation

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of enigmatic The enigmatic chiller was against the fearsome Disney twosome of Freakier Friday, which was the beneficiary of a remarkably long publicity rollout, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which was Marvel's primary attempt at a tentpole flick this summer. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 10 Aug. 2025 The enigmatic programmer has been with Fantasia since 1997 and says he’s seen this exact snafu with the wings play out on the red carpet before. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Aug. 2025 Tianwen 2 launched from Xichang on a Long March 3B rocket on May 28 and is en route to the enigmatic asteroid Kamo'oalewa. Andrew Jones, Space.com, 17 July 2025 In Too Much, Will Sharpe plays Stalter’s enigmatic love interest, Felix. Katie Mannion, People.com, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for enigmatic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enigmatic
Adjective
  • That would be the mysterious Dao Ming (Shang-Chi‘s Fala Chen), a casino employee with secrets of her own.
    Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Struggling to keep up with his fast-rising debts, he is offered a lifeline by the mysterious Dao Ming (Fala Chen), a casino employee with secrets of her own.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Sydney Sweeney’s new dark crime comedy Americana is new in theaters this weekend.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Inside, four bedrooms and three bathrooms are spread across roughly 2,600 square feet of single-level living space boasting dark hardwood floors and high ceilings dotted with skylights.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • However, it was discovered earlier this week that a recent, almost silent, filing with the SEC suggests their next frontier is something far more cryptic.
    Emma Kershaw, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Why don’t researchers know much about this cryptic society?
    Gina Park, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Whether the death was self-inflicted or by accident is ambiguous.
    Bryan West, The Tennessean, 15 Aug. 2025
  • The Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision eliminated Chevron deference, sharply curtailing agencies’ ability to interpret ambiguous laws.
    AJ Dhaliwal, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The round shape and clear sides let the punch’s pumpkin orange hue shine, creating a mystic effect—especially when surrounded by a bit of dry ice mist.
    Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2025
  • There is a mystic register to this faithful wanting, religious or otherwise.
    Terry Nguyen July 23, Literary Hub, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • But how much of your personality—a mercurial phenomenon—is deterministic, a set of probabilities that are no more inscrutable to algorithms than the arrangement of pieces on a chessboard?
    Webb Wright, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Getting to the bottom of, say, the seed-oil controversy requires engaging with thorny scientific debates that reference inscrutable research papers; embracing the natural and ancestral by opting for tallow is an attractively simple-seeming alternative.
    Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The law is vague and broad and included no room for considering the literary merit of the work, and so the result was a wave of book bans across the state.
    Peter Greene, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • My ideas around him were vague and uninformed, mostly of the stiff host tolerating the younger acts.
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The vodka is crisp with faint cooked cereal aromas.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
  • But soon, a faint tightness crept into his left foot.
    Jordan Greene, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Enigmatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enigmatic. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.

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