abstruse

adjective

əb-ˈstrüs How to pronounce abstruse (audio)
Definition of abstrusenext
as in esoteric
difficult for one of ordinary knowledge or intelligence to understand you're not the only one who finds Einstein's theory of relativity abstruse

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abstruse So his analysis may wobble here and there on the abstruse particulars of, say, inference costs. — Tommy Craggs, Wired News, 27 Oct. 2025 But the turn feels less absurd than abstruse, sudden even, given the film’s prior resistance to laugh at itself. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025 Also, his estimate arose from abstruse economic formulas and lots of magic asterisks. — Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025 Into Breaking Its Own Rules To emphasize the importance of math, Winkler displayed a handful of abstruse equations. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for abstruse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstruse
  1. esoteric
  2. profound
Adjective
  • There’s as much effort gone into the food as there is the drinks menu, and the esoteric array of tropical flavors straddles both impressively.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Created in the 17th century, Japan’s Fujiko faith fuses Shinto and esoteric Buddhism in its reverence for Mount Fuji, the country’s highest peak.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of esoteric
Adjective
  • Because something profound is happening at work right now, and most leaders have not put it on a dashboard yet.
    — Jordan Dunin, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of the Sputnik satellite posed a profound dilemma for NATO.
    — Ivo H. Daalder, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of profound

Browse Nearby Words

abstracts
abstruse
abstruseness
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Cite this Entry

“Abstruse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstruse. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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