abstruse

/əbˈstruːs/ (bre, ipa) · /əbˈstruːs/ (ame, ipa) · /əb-ˈstrüs ab-/ (ame, mw)

abstruse — adjective

  • abstrusepositive
  • more abstrusecomparative
  • most abstrusesuperlative

1. Hard for most readers to follow because it is expressed in a very complex or tec

1.形容詞C2
釋義

Hard for most readers to follow because it is expressed in a very complex or technical way.

例句

The judge's abstruse ruling confused even the senior reporters.

formal use for legal writing

Lotte skipped the abstruse chapter and read the summary first.

collocation: abstruse chapter

同義詞
  • obscure

    Can also mean 'not well known,' while 'abstruse' specifically stresses difficulty of understanding.

  • esoteric

    Suggests knowledge aimed at a small expert group, whereas 'abstruse' focuses on complexity itself.

  • dense

    More informal and often used for writing that feels packed or heavy.

反義詞
  • clear

    Easy to understand and expressed in a direct way.

  • accessible

    Easy for ordinary readers or learners to follow.

  • straightforward

    Simple and direct, without unnecessary complexity.

文法句型

abstruse + noun

be + abstruse

用法筆記

Most often used for writing, arguments, theories, or specialist language. It suggests that the difficulty comes from complexity or technical detail, not from a task being physically hard to do.

常見錯誤

❌The sofa was too abstruse to carry upstairs.
✅The sofa was too awkward to carry upstairs.
💡'Abstruse' describes ideas or language that are hard to understand, not objects that are hard to move.
❌Her accent was abstruse.
✅Her explanation was abstruse.
💡'Abstruse' usually describes content such as writing, arguments, or explanations, not the sound of someone's voice.