as in esoteric
difficult for one of ordinary knowledge or intelligence to understand
you're not the only one who finds Einstein's theory of relativity abstruse
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Recent Examples of abstruse
Some questioned what the White House could gain from reviewing abstruse rules for nuclear safety.
—
Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 9 May 2025
To emphasize the importance of math, Winkler displayed a handful of abstruse equations.
—Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 2 May 2025
The result is a topsy-turvy movie that is also spiritually profound in ways that the Marvel and DC franchises don’t dare but that became abstruse and chaotic in Snyder’s many Rebel Moon iterations.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 Mar. 2025
However, at the OXY ARTS gallery in Los Angeles, that abstruse portrait of Sagittarius A* looks a little different.
—Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstruse
Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 9 May 2025
To emphasize the importance of math, Winkler displayed a handful of abstruse equations.
—Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 2 May 2025
The result is a topsy-turvy movie that is also spiritually profound in ways that the Marvel and DC franchises don’t dare but that became abstruse and chaotic in Snyder’s many Rebel Moon iterations.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 Mar. 2025
However, at the OXY ARTS gallery in Los Angeles, that abstruse portrait of Sagittarius A* looks a little different.
—Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abstruse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstruse
Adjective
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Unfortunately, tenure, even in the best schools, gets rewarded to professors who write articles filled with complex math or esoteric theories in sociology and psychology.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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While the syntax of esoteric languages may be hard to understand, the actual programming stack is often wonderfully simple.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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By the time the credits roll, Sound of Metal avoids all of the tired clichés that typically come from this sort of low-budget undertaking, and achieves something more introspective and, much like the hardest and most profound journeys in life, unresolved.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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The shift has profound implications in House districts across the country, seeping into Democratic primaries as a possible liability for more centrist members.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abstruse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstruse. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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