SKIP TO CONTENT

cryptic

/ˈkrɪptɪk/
/ˈkrɪptɪk/
IPA guide

"White bunny. Moon square." Do you understand what that means? Of course not! It's totally cryptic. Cryptic comments or messages are hard to understand because they seem to have a hidden meaning.

Cryptic is from Late Latin crypticus, from Greek kryptos, "hidden." This Greek adjective is the source of the English noun crypt, referring to a room under a church in which dead people are buried. That might account for why the word cryptic has an eerie tone to it.

Definitions of cryptic
  1. adjective
    having a secret or hidden meaning
    cryptic writings”
    esoteric
    confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle
  2. adjective
    of an obscure nature
    “the new insurance policy is written without cryptic or mysterious terms”
    incomprehensible, inexplicable
    incapable of being explained or accounted for
  3. adjective
    having a puzzling terseness
    “a cryptic note”
    synonyms:
    breviloquent, concise
    expressing much in few words
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘cryptic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family