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abstruse

[ ab-stroos ]
/ æbˈstrus /
||
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adjective

hard to understand; recondite; esoteric: abstruse theories.
Obsolete. secret; hidden.

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RELATED WORDS

perplexing, esoteric, abstract, complex, complicated, deep, enigmatic, heavy, hidden, incomprehensible, intricate, involved, muddy, obscure, profound, puzzling, recondite, subtle, unfathomable, vague

Nearby words

  1. abstractive,
  2. abstractively,
  3. abstractly,
  4. abstrict,
  5. abstriction,
  6. abstrusely,
  7. abstrusity,
  8. absurd,
  9. absurd, theater of the,
  10. absurdism

Origin of abstruse

1590–1600; < Latin abstrūsus thrust away, concealed (past participle of abstrūdere), equivalent to abs- abs- + trūd- thrust + -tus past participle suffix
Related formsab·struse·ly, adverbab·struse·ness, noun
Can be confusedabstruse obtuse
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for abstruse

British Dictionary definitions for abstruse

abstruse

/ (əbˈstruːs) /

adjective

not easy to understand; recondite; esoteric
Derived Formsabstrusely, adverbabstruseness, noun

Word Origin for abstruse

C16: from Latin abstrūsus thrust away, concealed, from abs- ab- 1 + trūdere to thrust
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for abstruse

abstruse

adj.

1590s, from Middle French abstrus (16c.) or directly from Latin abstrusus "hidden, concealed, secret," past participle of abstrudere "conceal," literally "to thrust away," from ab- "away" (see ab-) + trudere "to thrust, push" (see extrusion). Related: Abstrusely; abstruseness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper