Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definitions: Enigmatic |
EnigmaticAdjective1. Not clear to the understanding; "I didn't grasp the meaning of that enigmatic comment until much later"; "prophetic texts so enigmatic that their meaning has been disputed for centuries". 2. Resembling an oracle in obscurity of thought; "the oracular sayings of Victorian poets"; "so enigmatic that priests might have to clarify it"; "an enigmatic smile". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "enigmatic" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references) |
Synonyms: EnigmaticSynonyms: enigmatical (adj), oracular (adj), puzzling (adj). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Uncertainty | Perplexing; Verb: enigmatic, paradoxical, apocryphal, problematical, hypothetical; experimental. |
Unintelligibility | Illegible, as Greek to one, unexplained, paradoxical; enigmatic, enigmatical, puzzling (secret); indecipherable. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Enigmatic |
| English words defined with "enigmatic": class Onychophora ♦ enigmatic canon, enigmatical ♦ Onychophora, oracular ♦ puzzling. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Enigmatic" is also a word in the following language with English translations in parentheses. Romanian (ambiguous, enigmatic, enigmatical, inscrutable, obscure, riddling, unintelligible). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Movie/TV Titles | Enigmatic Ages (1991) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | It was gloomy, enigmatic, and immense. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Enigmatic" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 98.55% of the time. "Enigmatic" is used about 276 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Adjective (general or positive) | 98.55% | 272 | 17,812 |
| Noun (proper) | 1.45% | 4 | 175,879 |
| Total | 100.00% | 276 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expression using "enigmatic": enigmatic canon. Additional references. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
enigmatic | 18 |
definition enigmatic | 3 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "enigmatic"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | enigmatik (astral, baffling, cabalistic, cabbalistic, inscrutable, mystic). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | ملغز (cryptic, inscrutable), مبهم (abstruse, ambiguous, cryptic, dark, dim, equivocal, hazy, impenetrable, incomprehensible, inscrutable, misty, mysterious, mystic, obscure, recondite, unclear, unfathomable, unintelligible, vague), غامض (abstruse, ambiguous, cloudy, deep, dim, double faced, dreamy, evasive, fuzzy, grave, hazy, impenetrable, incomprehensible, indecisive, indefinite, indeterminate, indistinct, indistinguishable, inscrutable, intangible, lax, magic, magical, misty, mysterious, mystic, nebulous, obscure, occult, opaque, puzzling, recondite, secret, shady, sketchy, slippery, sloppy, uncertain, unintelligible, vague, woolly). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | озадачаващ (obscure, perplexing), загадъчен (apocalyptic, baffling, cryptic, delphian, delphic, inscrutable, mysterious, mystic, oracular). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 神秘 (Arcane, Enigmatical, Esoteric, Mystical). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | záhadný (baffling, cryptic, inexplicable, mysterious, occult, unknown), tajemný (cryptic, dark, mysterious, secret, uncanny), nevyzpytatelný (impenetrable, inapprehensive, inscrutable, unfathomable, unsearchable, wayward). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | raadselachtigheid (enigmatic character, mysteriousness). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Esperanto | enigmeco (enigmatic character, mysteriousness). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Farsi | معماءی , مبهم (Ambiguous, Dim, Dusky, Esoteric, Imprecise, Misty, Mysterious, Obscure, Opaque, Vague). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | arvoituksellinen (problematic, puzzling). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | énigmatique. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | rätselhaft (baffling, cryptic, cryptically, enicmatical, enigmatically, enigmaticly, mysterious, puzzling). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | αινιγματικόσ (cryptic, oracular, puzzling). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | מסתורי (arcane, mysterious, mystic, occult, unearthly), תמו" (amazing, mystifying, odd, peculiar, strange, surprising). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | rejtélyes (baffling, cryptic, enigmatical, inscrutable, mysterious, puzzling, recondite, secret, uncanny). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | enigmatico, misterioso (abstruse, cryptic, eerie, mysterious, occult, secret, suspect, suspicious, unearthly, weird). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | dorraghey (crepuscular, dark, dun, dusk, dusky, fade out, gloomy, obscure), do-hoiggal (abstract, incomprehensible, obscure). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Norwegian | gåtefull. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | enigmaticay enigma (conundrum, enigma, logomachy, mystery, poseur, puzzle, quiz, riddle). (various references) enigmatic (ambiguous, enigmatical, inscrutable, obscure, riddling, unintelligible). (various references) загадочный (cryptic). (various references) zagonetan (inscrutable, mysterious, puzzling). (various references) enigmático. (various references) gåtfull (mysterious, oracular, puzzling, unaccountable). (various references) ยากที่จะเข้าใจ (mind-boggling). (various references) esrarengiz (bottomless, eerie, eery, enigmatical, mysterious, uncanny, veiled in secrecy, weird), gizemli (enigmatical, mysterious, mystic, secret, secretive, sphinxlike), bilmece gibi (enigmatical, puzzling). (various references) загадковий (baffling, enigmatical, oracular, oraculous, problematic, problematical). (various references) khó hiểu (deep, delphian, delphic, enigmatical, incomprehensible, intricate, mysterious, oracular, perplexed, recondite, riddling, unintelligible, weird), bí ẩn (deep, enigmatical, mysterious, riddling). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "enigmatic": enigmatical, enigmatically. (additional references) | |
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"Enigmatic" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: animatic, eginmatic, egnigmatic, eigmatic, enegmatic, engimatic, engmatic, enigmactic, enigmantic, enigmatixc, enigomatic, inigmatic. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "enigmatic" (pronounced e'nigma"tik) |
| 6 | -g m a" t i k | dogmatic, pragmatic. |
| 5 | -m a" t i k | aromatic, asthmatic, asymptomatic, automatic, axiomatic, charismatic, cinematic, climatic, diagrammatic, diplomatic, dramatic, emblematic, enzymatic, idiomatic, mathematic, melodramatic, monochromatic, numismatic, pneumatic, posttraumatic, prismatic, problematic, programmatic, psychosomatic, rheumatic, schematic, semiautomatic, symptomatic, systematic, thematic, traumatic, undiplomatic. |
| 4 | -a" t i k | acrobatic, aerobatic, aristocratic, attic, autocratic, bureaucratic, democratic, ecstatic, electrostatic, emphatic, erratic, fanatic, hepatic, homeostatic, idiosyncratic, lymphatic, operatic, pancreatic, phosphatic, prostatic, static, technocratic, theocratic, undemocratic. |
| 3 | -t i k | acetic, acoustic, aesthetic, agnostic, alphabetic, altruistic, amniotic, anachronistic, analytic, anesthetic, antagonistic, Antarctic, antibiotic, antic, anticlimactic, antiseptic, aortic, apathetic, apocalyptic, apologetic, apoplectic, aquatic, arctic, arithmetic, arthritic, artistic, ascetic, astronautic, atavistic, atheistic, athletic, authentic, autistic, ballistic, bombastic, capitalistic, catalytic, cathartic, caustic, chaotic, characteristic, chauvinistic, chiropractic, climactic, coloristic, cosmetic, critic, cryptic, cultic, cystic, dendritic, despotic, deterministic, diabetic, diagnostic, dialectic, diamagnetic, didactic, dietetic, diuretic, domestic, drastic, drumstick, dualistic, dynastic, ecclesiastic, eclectic, ecliptic, elastic, electrolytic, electromagnetic, emetic, empathetic, energetic, enthusiastic, epigenetic, epileptic, erotic, euphemistic, evangelistic, exotic, expressionistic, extragalactic, fantastic, fatalistic, ferromagnetic, feudalistic, fiberoptic, frantic, frenetic, futuristic, galactic, genetic, geomagnetic, gigantic, granitic, gymnastic, halophytic, hectic, hedonistic, hemolytic, heretic, hermaphroditic, holistic, homiletic, humanistic, hyperkinetic, hypnotic, iconoclastic, idealistic, idiotic, imperialistic, impressionistic, individualistic, inelastic, interscholastic, jingoistic, journalistic, kinesthetic, kinetic, lactic, legalistic, linguistic, logistic, magnetic, majestic, masochistic, materialistic, mechanistic, militaristic, monastic, monopolistic, moralistic, mystic, narcissistic, narcotic, nationalistic, naturalistic, neritic, neurotic, novelistic, oligopolistic, onomastic, opportunistic, optic, optimistic, orthodontic, pantheistic, paralytic, paramagnetic, parasitic, parasympathetic, parthenogenetic, paternalistic, pathetic, patriotic, patristic, pectic, pedantic, peptic, peripatetic, pessimistic, phonetic, plastic, pluralistic, poetic, polytheistic, porphyritic, primitivistic, propagandistic, prophetic, prophylactic, prosthetic, psychoanalytic, psychotherapeutic, psychotic, puristic, quixotic, realistic, relativistic, ritualistic, robotic, romantic, rustic, sadistic, sarcastic, scholastic, semantic, semiotic, sensationalistic, septic, simplistic, skeptic, socialistic, statistic, stylistic, surrealistic, sycophantic, symbiotic, sympathetic, synergistic, synthetic, tactic, terroristic, therapeutic, thermoplastic, thrombolytic, transatlantic, triptych, unapologetic, unauthentic, uncharacteristic, unenthusiastic, unpatriotic, unrealistic, unsympathetic, voyeuristic. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-c-e-g-i-i-m-n-t" | |
-1 letter: magnetic. | |
-2 letters: gametic, imagine, intimae, iteming, mintage, nematic, teaming, tegmina. | |
-3 letters: acetin, acting, aiming, aminic, anemic, centai, cinema, citing, eating, enatic, enigma, etamin, gamine, iceman, ignite, incage, incite, ingate, inmate, intima, intime, macing, magnet, mantic, mating, meting, tamein, taming, tieing, timing. | |
-4 letters: acing, acini, actin, agent, ament, amice, amici, amine, amnic, anime, animi, antic, enact, entia, gamic, gamin, genic, genii, giant, icing, image, imine, magic, mange, manic, matin, meant, menta, minae, mince, tenia, tinea, tinge. | |
-5 letters: acme, acne, agin, amen, amie, amin, ante, anti, cage, cain, came, cane, cant, cate, cent, cine, cite, emic, emit, etic, etna, gaen, gain, gait, game, gane, gate, gent, geta, gien, gnat, inia, inti, item, mace, mage, magi, main, mane, mate, mean, meat, meta, mica, mice, mien, mina, mine, mini, mint, mite, name, neat, nema, nice, nite, tace, tain, tame, tang, team, time, tine, ting. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-c-e-g-i-i-m-n-t" | |
+1 letter: decimating, emaciating, gentamicin, medicating. | |
+2 letters: diamagnetic, enigmatical, gentamicins, imprecating, magnificent, maledicting, miscreating, misteaching. | |
+3 letters: antimagnetic, cinematizing, emancipating, gastrocnemii, geometrician, miseducating, mutagenicity, schematizing. | |
+4 letters: cabinetmaking, commiserating, democratizing, domesticating, enigmatically, ferrimagnetic, geometricians, histaminergic, magnificently, miscegenation, recriminating, vasectomizing. | |
+5 letters: cabinetmakings, circumnavigate, intercomparing, metalinguistic, miscegenations, mutagenicities, overmedicating, terminological. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)45 6E 69 67 6D 61 74 69 63 |
| Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)
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| American Sign Language (origins from 1620-1817 in Italy and, especially, France) (references)
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| Semaphore (1791, in France) (references)
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| Braille (1829, in France) (references)
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Morse Code (1836) (references). -. .. --. -- .- - .. -.-. |
| Dancing Men (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1903) (references)
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Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)01000101 01101110 01101001 01100111 01101101 01100001 01110100 01101001 01100011 |
HTML Code (1990) (references)E n i g m a t i c |
ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)0045 006E 0069 0067 006D 0061 0074 0069 0063 |
| British Sign Language (Fingerspelling, BSL; 1992, British Deaf Association Dictionary of British Sign Language) (references)
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Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)398075737967867569 |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Quotations: Fiction 7. Usage Frequency 8. Expressions | 9. Expressions: Internet 10. Translations: Modern 11. Derivations 12. Rhymes | 13. Anagrams 14. Orthography 15. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
