hieroglyphic
difficult to decipher; enigmatic or symbolic
“His notes were written in a hieroglyphic scrawl.”
Origin: Greek hieros (sacred) + glyphein (to carve)
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Adjectives evoking the enigmatic, massive, and sealed
difficult to decipher; enigmatic or symbolic
“His notes were written in a hieroglyphic scrawl.”
Origin: Greek hieros (sacred) + glyphein (to carve)
complete and airtight; relating to ancient occult tradition
“The hermetic seal preserved the contents for centuries.”
Origin: From Hermes Trismegistus, legendary ancient magician/deity
inscrutable, mysterious, and silent
“She maintained a sphinx-like expression throughout the trial.”
Origin: From the Sphinx, the mythical creature who posed riddles
massive in size, importance, or endurance
“A monumental achievement in engineering.”
Origin: Latin monumentum (memorial)
irregular and twisting; highly intricate and confusing
“The tax code is utterly labyrinthine.”
Origin: From the Labyrinth of Crete in Greek mythology
having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure
“He left a cryptic message before disappearing.”
Origin: Greek kryptos (hidden)
impossible to understand or interpret
“The workings of the algorithm remained inscrutable.”
Origin: Latin inscrutabilis (not able to be searched)
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