abstruse

[ab-stroos]

adjective

1. hard to understand; recondite; esoteric.

   abstruse theories.

   Synonyms: arcane, unfathomable, incomprehensible
   Antonyms: obvious, simple, uncomplicated, clear

2. Obsolete.,  secret; hidden.

abstruse

/ əbˈstruːs /

adjective

1. not easy to understand; recondite; esoteric

Other Word Forms

• abstrusely adverb
• abstruseness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of abstruse¹

1590–1600; < Latin abstrūsus thrust away, concealed (past participle of abstrūdere ), equivalent to abs- abs- + trūd- thrust + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of abstruse¹

C16: from Latin abstrūsus thrust away, concealed, from abs- _ab- ¹ + trūdere to thrust

Example Sentences

Also, his estimate arose from abstruse economic formulas and lots of magic asterisks.

From Los Angeles Times

That might sound like an abstruse philosophical argument, but he says it's a hot debate within the scientific community.

From Salon

It’s not exactly secret, but it’s abstruse enough that they hope most people, who aren’t fully conversant with the complexities of the program, won’t get the drift.

From Los Angeles Times

I wasn’t expecting to write such a sentence about an abstract and some might even say abstruse Sondheim musical that has had only one short-lived Broadway revival.

From Los Angeles Times

A figure of undisputed authority in some of the most abstruse corners of computing, Conway was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1989.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• esoteric 
• perplexing