ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsCcryptic
ISEE/SSAThard
cryptic
Meaning: having a meaning that is mysterious or hard to interpret
cryptic in a sentence
How cryptic is used in real sentences:
The detective found a cryptic note left at the scene of the crime.
His cryptic warning about the storm left everyone confused about what to do.
“Instead, they printed each equation beside the evidence it represented and marked several cryptic parameters whose values could not be estimated confidently.”
— from the passage When the Curve Breaks
“Their claims about guilt and forgiveness sound like slogans, while their cryptic gestures confound even attentive viewers.”
— from the passage The Engineered Tempest
“Early ordinances can seem cryptic because their abbreviated phrases and forgotten technical terms conceal as much as they explain.”
— from the passage Beyond the Gates
Synonyms for cryptic
Other words for cryptic — enigmatic, puzzling and obscure — carry the same meaning.
- enigmatic
- puzzling
- obscure
Antonyms of cryptic
Words that mean the opposite of cryptic:
- clear
- obvious
Where it comes from
From Greek kryptikos 'hidden, secret'
Memory hook
CRYPTIC sounds like CRYPT — a hidden, mysterious tomb full of secrets.