Cryptic

Adjective. Describes something obscure, mysterious, or having a hidden meaning that is not easily understood. It often implies a deliberate intention to conceal or obfuscate the true message. Something cryptic requires careful interpretation and may involve unraveling symbolic language, hidden clues, or complex allusions.

The term suggests a puzzle or enigma that demands intellectual effort to decipher, and its meaning remains shrouded until a solution is found.

A cryptic message is designed to be challenging and potentially misleading to those who lack the necessary knowledge or insight to understand it.

Cryptic meaning with examples

• The ancient inscription on the tomb was remarkably cryptic, filled with unfamiliar symbols and a language long since lost to modern scholars, leaving its true purpose shrouded in mystery for centuries.
• Her response to his confession was infuriatingly cryptic; she simply smiled enigmatically and turned away, leaving him desperately trying to decipher the meaning behind her ambiguous gesture.
• The company's financial reports were intentionally cryptic, designed to obfuscate their true profits and losses from shareholders and potential investors, concealing their precarious economic state.
• The detective painstakingly examined the cryptic clues left by the serial killer, hoping to decipher the hidden message and predict his next victim, battling to stay one step ahead.