enigmatic

American  

[en-ig-mat-ik, ee-nig-] / ˌɛn ɪgˈmæt ɪk, ˌi nɪg- /

Also enigmatical.

adjective

1. resembling an enigma, or a puzzling occurrence, situation, statement, person, etc.; perplexing; mysterious.

   She has a perpetually enigmatic expression on her face.

   This is the most enigmatic book I have ever read!

   Synonyms:

   cryptic, baffling, puzzling

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Usage

What does enigmatic mean? The adjective enigmatic can be used to describe someone or something that’s puzzling or mysterious. Enigmatic means resembling an enigma—someone or something that’s puzzling, mysterious, or difficult to make sense of. The word enigma can also mean a riddle, but it’s more often used to refer to something that’s so perplexing that it seems like a riddle (and perhaps was intended to seem like one), as in That book is completely enigmatic—I have no idea what it’s really about. If you call a person enigmatic, you mean that they’re hard to figure out—the reasons behind what they say and do are not easily understood. Some people try to be enigmatic to be mysterious. Example: I’ve known him for years, but he’s completely enigmatic—I have no idea what his interests are or what he’s really like.

Related Words

See ambiguous.

Other Word Forms

• enigmatically adverb
• nonenigmatic adjective
• nonenigmatical adjective
• nonenigmatically adverb
• unenigmatic adjective
• unenigmatical adjective
• unenigmatically adverb

Etymology

Origin of enigmatic

First recorded in 1620–30; from Late Latin aenigmaticus, from Greek ainigmatikós, equivalent to ainigmat- (stem of aínigma “riddle, taunt”) + -ikos adjective suffix; enigma, -ic

Explanation

Something that's enigmatic is tough to figure out. It's puzzling and even mysterious, like those weird secret college societies, Mona Lisa's smile, or the New York Times crossword. It's no mystery where the adjective enigmatic comes from: It's rooted in the Greek word for riddle. Something that's enigmatic is obscure, unclear and not an easy nut to crack. Translating the Rosetta Stone, with its ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and mysterious foreign writings, was certainly an enigmatic challenge for the archaeologists that found it.

Example Sentences

"They are one of the most enigmatic species of ants - they form large colonies, engage in interesting behaviours and are easy to keep. They are not aggressive."

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

This altarpiece marks the Italian artist coming into his own at the end of the Renaissance, its vision of Christ after his crucifixion rendered in an expressive, enigmatic style.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Olsen: One of the things I really appreciate about the movie is the way that it sort of dares to be enigmatic.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

We wouldn’t be drawn to “Labyrinth” all these years later if Bowie hadn’t poured a searing alloy of androgyny and enigmatic intent into a mold and popped out his Goblin King.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026

This seems rather enigmatic on the face of it, but actually I cannot think of a better metaphor for Julian’s personality.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• ambiguous
• cryptic
• obscure