cryptic

adjective

cryp·​tic ˈkrip-tik 

1

: secret, occult

2

a

: having or seeming to have a hidden or ambiguous meaning : mysterious

cryptic messages

cryptic prophecies

b

: marked by an often perplexing brevity

cryptic marginal notes

3

: serving to conceal

cryptic coloration in animals

also : exhibiting cryptic coloration

cryptic animals

4

: not recognized

a cryptic infection

5

: employing cipher or code

cryptically

ˈkrip-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Did you know?

The Mysterious Origins of Cryptic

The history of cryptic starts with kryptein, a Greek word meaning "to hide." Can you uncover other kryptein relatives in English? Not surprisingly, crypt, meaning "underground chamber," is one. The element krypton would be another correct guess, and so would apocrypha, which can mean "writings of dubious authenticity." Kryptein also gave us several words having to do with secret codes, such as cryptogram ("a communication in cipher or code") and cryptography ("the coding and decoding of secret messages"). And cryptocurrency is currency that exists digitally and that relies on computer encryption (secret code) to prevent counterfeiting and fraud.

Synonyms

• arcane
• deep
• enigmatic
• enigmatical
• impenetrable
• inscrutable
• mysterious
• mystic
• occult
• uncanny

Choose the Right Synonym for cryptic

obscure, dark, vague, enigmatic, cryptic, ambiguous, equivocal mean not clearly understandable.

obscure implies a hiding or veiling of meaning through some inadequacy of expression or withholding of full knowledge.

obscure poems

dark implies an imperfect or clouded revelation often with ominous or sinister suggestion.

muttered dark hints of revenge

vague implies a lack of clear formulation due to inadequate conception or consideration.

a vague sense of obligation

enigmatic stresses a puzzling, mystifying quality.

enigmatic occult writings

cryptic implies a purposely concealed meaning.

cryptic hints of hidden treasure

ambiguous applies to language capable of more than one interpretation.

an ambiguous directive

equivocal applies to language left open to differing interpretations with the intention of deceiving or evading.

moral precepts with equivocal phrasing

Examples of cryptic in a Sentence

… his hectic characters either communicate in choppy or cryptic exchanges or rattle on in breathless recitations full of contradictions and asides. —Donna Seaman, Booklist, 15 Mar. 1994

Since Hughes's poems contained neither Eliot's footnotes nor Ezra Pound's cryptic orientalism, many critics and editors assumed the poet unintelligent and his work raw or, at best, slight. —Rita Dove, New York Times Book Review, 9 Oct. 1988

The remark seemed cryptic to Philip, but when he heard her say it two or three times to different persons, and found that it aroused hearty agreement, he came to the conclusion that it was only obscure to his own intelligence. —W. Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage, 1915

His instructions were cryptic. He said only to wait until we felt certain the answer was clear.

puzzled by the cryptic e-mail message left on his computer

Recent Examples on the Web

Because what Ken was doing at first was really all vibes: the all-black dress code, the grungy photography, the cryptic social media presence. —Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2024

As Gamache races to decode an unsettling break-in, a cryptic note, and a hit-and-run, a massive threat lurks. —Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Oct. 2024

Both artists also dropped cryptic videos from Sydney’s iconic Luna Park before the performance. —Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2024

Its notifications, which follow a format established in 1924, are written in ALL CAPS and filled with cryptic abbreviations. —Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin crypticus "hidden," borrowed from Late Greek kryptikós "obscuring" (Greek kryptikôs "secretly"), from kryptós "hidden, secret" + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at crypt

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

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Kids Definition

cryptic

adjective

cryp·​tic ˈkrip-tik 

1

: meant to be puzzling or mysterious

a cryptic remark

2

: serving to conceal

cryptic coloring of an animal

cryptically

-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

cryptic

adjective

cryp·​tic ˈkrip-tik 

1

: serving to conceal

cryptic coloration in animals

2

: not recognized

a cryptic infection

cryptic cases of lead poisoning

cryptically

-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb