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

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.

From Los Angeles Times

Visits to the front, rousing of troops, evading rampant typhoid, enigmatic encounters with notable leaders like Republican Chiang Kai-shek and Communist Zhou Enlai.

From Salon

And like Carroll’s enigmatic feline, he speaks the truth, even if that translates to providing his allies only enough data to bring his plans to fruition.

From Salon

“He’s an enigmatic man of mystery who tries to do his work with the minimum amount of attention,” says cinematographer Christopher Ross, who lensed the first three episodes with director Brian Kirk.

From Los Angeles Times

Chang: Lawrence, from the very beginning, was this very enigmatic figure.

From Los Angeles Times

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.