Synonyms

cryptic

American

[krip-tik] / ˈkrɪp tɪk /

adjective

mysterious in meaning; puzzling; ambiguous.

a cryptic message.

Synonyms:

enigmatic
abrupt; terse; short.

a cryptic note.
secret; occult.

a cryptic writing.
involving or using cipher, code, etc.
Zoology. fitted for concealing; serving to camouflage.

noun

a cryptogram, especially one designed as a puzzle.

cryptic British

/ ˈkrɪptɪk /

adjective

hidden; secret; occult
(esp of comments, sayings, etc) obscure in meaning
(of the coloration of animals) tending to conceal by disguising or camouflaging the shape

"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

Related Words

See ambiguous.

Other Word Forms

cryptically adverb
noncryptic adjective
noncryptical adjective
noncryptically adverb

Etymology

Origin of cryptic

1595–1605; < Late Latin crypticus < Greek kryptikós hidden. See crypt, -ic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He approaches historical developments from odd angles as if deliberately trying to be cryptic.

From The Wall Street Journal

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s cryptic weekend tweet has roused speculation about whether he is planning to build a semiconductor fabrication facility, or fab, something that costs tens of billions of dollars to build.

From Barron's

At another property she saw, there was a cryptic warning sign near the steps to the backyard—something about using them at your own risk.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023