Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ENIGMATIC

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explore the archives: Something enigmatic is puzzling because it's so mysterious or vague, but a G______ knot is puzzling because it's so complex and formidable. Could you recall that term? make your point with... "ENIGMATIC" An enigma ("ih NIG muh") is a riddle: a question that's hard to answer because it's vague, unclear, or mysterious. More generally, an enigma is a person, event, or situation that puzzles you, like a problem with no solution. So, enigmatic people and things are puzzling, mysterious, and hard to figure out. Pronunciation: EN ig MAT ick Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "an enigmatic thing" or "an enigmatic person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was enigmatic" or "He's enigmatic.") Other forms: Enigma(s), enigmatically. "Enigmatical" is an alternate form of "enigmatic," but it's less common. How to use it: Talk about enigmatic topics and phenomena, enigmatic stories and parables and poems, enigmatic songs and works of art, enigmatic comments and questions, enigmatic people and characters, and people's enigmatic expressions and enigmatic wit. examples: "Vaguebooking:" posting enigmatic status updates on Facebook, ones that cry out for attention, like "That was a crazy night." The most recent movie explains Willy Wonka's enigmatic behavior by flashing back to his troubled childhood. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "enigmatic" means when you can explain it without saying "perplexing" or "ambiguous." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "The enigmatic lyrics to ('Song Title') could mean anything: '_______'." Example: "The enigmatic lyrics to 'Slow Like Honey' could mean anything: 'So I stretch myself across like a bridge and I pull you to the edge.'" before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. License Plate Words! You’ve spotted a cluster of three letters on a license plate. Keep all three letters together—don’t insert any letters between them—but add any letters you like to the left and/or right of the cluster to form words. For example, when you spot the cluster CKG, you can form BACKGROUND and BACKGAMMON (and all their related words, like BACKGROUNDER and BACKGAMMONING, for a total of 8 possible words). We’ll move from easy to hard clusters as the month goes on. (For the curious, you can generate a complete list of answers using a tool like this one.) Let's play! Our previous question: If you spot the cluster APL, you can use it to form 83 words. Give yourself a minute or so. How many can you think of? Possible answers: You may have thought of APLENTY, CHAPLAIN, CHEAPLY, HAPLESS, MAPLE, SEAPLANE, and/or STAPLE. Try this today: If you spot the cluster ARF, you can use it to form 73 words. Give yourself a minute or so. How many can you think of? review today's word: 1. One opposite of ENIGMATIC is A. IMPOLITIC B. MALADROIT C. UNEQUIVOCAL 2. He's as determined to maintain his enigmatic persona as the media are to _____ it. A. decipher B. emulate C. neglect Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. A