enigmatic
adjective
Did you know?
The Origin of Enigmatic Isn't a Mystery
The noun enigma can refer to a puzzle, a riddle, a question mark. It’s no mystery then, that the adjective enigmatic describes what is hard to solve or figure out. An enigmatic person, for example, may be someone with a bit of je ne sais quoi. What’s behind a stranger’s enigmatic smile? Your guess is as good as ours. Does the vocabulary in the short story you’re reading render it a tad enigmatic? Better grab a dictionary! Both enigma and enigmatic come from the Greek verb ainissesthai, meaning “to speak in riddles.”
Examples of enigmatic in a Sentence
Bob Berman, Astronomy, November 2007
You'll recognize them by their enigmatic smile and faraway look as they jog, skate, commute, or wander the aisles of the supermarket.
—Consumer Reports, December 2005
Despite all that has been written—and surmised—about him, Bill Gates remains the enigmatic ringmaster of the digital circus.
—J. D. Reed, People, 15 Mar. 1999
the discovery of the abandoned ship in mid ocean remains one of the most enigmatic episodes in seafaring history
the Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile
Clara Moskowitz,
Scientific American,
1 July 2026
For anyone wanting to see or experience the sites and vestiges of Miami’s ancient inhabitants, the people known as Tequesta and their even more enigmatic Archaic forebears, there are only a few places to go.
—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
Naughton joins a cast led by Reeve Carney as the enigmatic Jay Gatsby, Eva Noblezada as Daisy Buchanan and Corbin Bleu as Nick Carraway.
—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
Excavations at Rising Star have sparked debate about whether these little hominins had all ended up in the caves by tragic accident, or whether they’d been carefully placed there by other members of their enigmatic species, dubbed Homo naledi.
—
ArsTechnica,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for enigmatic
Cite this Entry
“Enigmatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enigmatic. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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