cryptic
KRIP-tik
/ˈkrɪp.tɪk/
Having a meaning that is mysterious, obscure, or hidden; serving to conceal.
Suggests a deliberate attempt to hide meaning, or an inherent mysteriousness that requires decoding.
The story behind the word. The ancient Greeks used kryptos to describe anything concealed from view. It gave us 'crypt' (a hidden underground chamber) and 'cryptography' (secret writing), before evolving into 'cryptic' to describe any message that behaves like a locked vault.
Word relationships
- enigmatic: Enigmatic is more formal and alluring, while cryptic often implies a specific hidden code or secret.
- obscure: Obscure implies a lack of light or clarity, whereas cryptic implies a deliberate concealment.
- overt: Overt means open and clear, not hidden or secret.
- explicit: Explicit means fully and clearly expressed, leaving nothing implied.
Commonly confused with
- obscure: Obscure means hard to see or understand due to lack of information; cryptic implies a hidden code or secret meaning.
Word family
- cryptically (adverb): In a mysterious or obscure manner.
- crypt (noun): An underground room or vault beneath a church, used as a chapel or burial place.
Collocations
- cryptic clue
- cryptic message
- cryptic remark
- cryptic smile
Example sentences
- "The cryptic message was written in a hand that I could not recognize." A classic detective novel describing a mysterious message. (Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Dancing Men, 1903)
Memory hook
A message found in a dark, spooky crypt is bound to be cryptic. Crypts hide bodies; cryptic messages hide meanings.
When not to use
Do not use for something that is just poorly explained; use when it feels intentionally coded or deeply mysterious.
Fun facts
- In biology, 'cryptic coloration' is another term for camouflage, where an animal's patterns help it hide in plain sight.
Also appears in
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