Cryptic

/ˈkrɪp.tɪk/

Meaning & Definition

adjective

having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure

The message was written in a cryptic code that took hours to decipher.

relating to or having the nature of an enigma

His cryptic remarks during the meeting left everyone confused about his true intentions.

hidden or concealed; not easy to interpret

The artist's cryptic symbols in the painting sparked various interpretations among critics.

secretive or ambiguous in nature

She gave him a cryptic smile that made him wonder what she was thinking.

From Greek 'kryptos' meaning 'hidden'.

cryptic crossword

A puzzle in which words must be deduced from cryptic clues.

cryptic message

A message that is difficult to interpret due to its ambiguous or hidden meaning.

cryptic remarks

Comments that are hard to understand because they are vague or obscure.

enigma

A person or thing that is mysterious or difficult to understand.

cipher

A secret or disguised way of writing; a code.

ambiguity

The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness.

Unintelligible or confusing language.

Stop speaking in that cryptic jargon; just explain it clearly!

Vague or mysterious text or communication.

His texts were so cryptic that I had no idea what he meant.