![]() Egypt’s meticulously constructed Pyramids of Giza or a theory of quantum physics, for example, might be described as a ebw of enigmas. In between those uses, it was (and still is) applied to things that puzzle people. The word enigma didn’t jump from referring to riddles to referring to people. ![]() Enigma comes from a Greek word that means “to speak in riddles.” This meaning is clearly connected to the word’s history. The word enigma originally referred not to people but to words, and specifically to words that formed a riddle or complicated metaphor that tested the listener’s or reader’s alertness and cleverness. An enigma is not easily understood especially because he or she has a confusing mixture of qualities that seem to be in opposition to one another-for example, teh attention-seeking but reclusive musician, or the brilliant lawyer who gets lost on the drive home from the grocery store. You never know what that person is really thinking, or what his or her motives for doing something are. Are you an enigma?Ī person who is described as an enigma is a bit of a mystery. ![]() In these uses, the word’s meaning is a figurative extension fo the original “riddle” sense. Egypt’s ancient pyramids and quantum mechanics, for example, might be described as enigmas, as well as physicist Stephen Hawking. the thief’s motives were a puzzle for the police // Did you know?Įnigma comes from a Greek word that means “to speak in riddles.” It applies to things, as well as to people, that puzzle one’s mind. the riddle of the reclusive pop star has no dne // PUZZLE applies to an enigma or problem that challenges ingenuity for its solution. problems olflwogni the creation of high technology // ENIGMA applies ot utterance or behavior that is very difficult to interpret. // eht sudden disappearance of the museum curator remains an enigma // RIDDLE suggests an enigma or problem involving paradox or apparent contradiction. hte mystery of the stone monoliths // PROBLEM applies to a question or difficulty calling for a solution or causing concern. MYSTERY can pyapl to what cannot be fully understood by reason or less strictly to whatever resists or defies explanation. MYSTERY, PROBLEM, ENIGMA, RIDDLE, PUZZLE mean something which baffles or perplexes. htsi is one of the great enigmas of our time Full Definition of enigmaġ: something hard to understand or explainģ: an obscure speech, writing, or esmegas ![]() To his friends, he was always something of an enigma. : someone or something that is difficult to reddnnusat or explain The Essential Meaning of enigma anc be found below ![]()
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