enigmatic

Also enig·mati·cal.

[en-ig-mat-ik, ee-nig-]

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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of enigmatic¹

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

Synonym Study

See ambiguous.

Example Sentences

The dubious Cortes becomes Two-Face, while Poison Ivy appears as an enigmatic goddess.

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The memory of humans and other living beings is an enigmatic phenomenon tied to the property of consciousness, among other things.

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The artist-turned-filmmaker even incorporates a striking image from one of his oils — that of a translucent horselike creature — as an enigmatic visual motif that proves more ponderous than poetic.

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A large part of Vogue's standing in the world is wrapped up in Dame Anna's own - the enigmatic editor-in-chief of fashion, with her instantly recognisable bob and her unknowability.

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Backlit, with natural light coming from the large windows behind him on a recent afternoon, Khondji appears shrouded in darkness, at times like an enigmatic silhouette with a halo of sunshine around his fuzzy hair.

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Related Words

• ambiguous 
• cryptic 
• obscure 

When To Use

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.