Enigmatic — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Enigmatic (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain

   "the discovery of the abandoned ship in mid ocean remains one of the most enigmatic episodes in seafaring history"

   similar: arcane, cryptic, deep, impenetrable, inscrutable, mysterious, mystic, occult, uncanny
   related: dark, darkling, fuzzy, murky, obscure, shadowy, vague, ambiguous, equivocal, imponderable, incomprehensible, unfathomable, unintelligible, unsearchable, inexplicable, unaccountable, unexplainable, unanswerable, unknowable, metaphysical, mystical, numinous, supernatural, abstruse, esoteric, recondite, baffling, befuddling, bewildering, confounding, confusing, disorienting, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling
   near: fathomable, intelligible, understandable, apparent, clear, evident, manifest, obvious, open-and-shut, palpable, patent, perspicuous, plain, straightforward, transparent, unambiguous, unequivocal, unmistakable

2. having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning

   "the Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile"

   similar: ambiguous, arcane, cryptic, dark, deep, Delphic, double-edged, elliptical, equivocal, fuliginous, inscrutable, murky, mysterious, mystic, nebulous, obscure, occult, opaque
   related: abstruse, esoteric, recondite, cloaked, concealed, disguised, masked, shrouded, beclouded, bedimmed, befogged, clouded, cloudy, dim, faint, foggy, fuzzy, hazy, indistinct, indistinguishable, misty, muddy, obfuscatory, obnubilated, obscurant, shaded, shadowlike, shadowy, sphinxlike, indefinite, inexact, inexplicit, noncommittal, questionable, unclear, uncertain, undefined, undetermined, vague, impenetrable, incomprehensible, indecipherable, inexplicable, eerie, uncanny, weird, impalpable, inappreciable, intangible, invisible, unanswerable, unknowable, baffling, bewildering, confounding, confusing, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling, unfathomable, circuitous, indirect, roundabout, complex, complicated, difficult, obtuse
   opposite: accessible, clear, nonambiguous, obvious, plain, unambiguous, unequivocal
   near: comprehensible, fathomable, intelligible, knowable, legible, pellucid, understandable, bright, distinct, evident, self-evident, self-explanatory, certain, firm, strong, sure, defined, determined, direct, straightforward, definite, exact, explicit, appreciable, palpable, tangible, visible, blatant, patent, unmistakable