SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
enigma
noun
Something puzzling or difficult to understand.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Something puzzling
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topA riddle may have a deliberately hidden answer; an enigma need not have a known solution.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See enigma in use
The unexplained symbols remained an enigma to the researchers.
In Jo's workshop story, a missed train served as the antecedent to an unexpected meeting in an empty station cafe. The climax arrived when the two travelers recognized that each carried half of the same unfinished letter. Until then, the letter's origin had remained an enigma for the characters and readers.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license