Meaning & use

enigmatic

adjective·Advanced

Mysterious and difficult to interpret or understand fully.

See it in a sentence

The professor gave an enigmatic smile and refused to reveal the exam questions.

Critics still debate the meaning of the painting's enigmatic central figure.

A note on using this word

Enigmatic often describes people whose motives or expressions are hard to read, rather than facts that are simply unknown.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

clearobvious

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “enigmatic”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.