enigmas

IPA/ɪˈnɪɡ.mə/
IPA/əˈnɪɡ.mə/

enigmas — noun

  • enigmassingular
  • enigmasesplural

1. things, events, or situations that people still cannot fully explain or make sen

1.nounC1
Definition

things, events, or situations that people still cannot fully explain or make sense of

Example

To the whole family, the old map in the attic remained an enigma.

pattern: be/remain an enigma to + noun phrase

Why the village well dried up so suddenly is still an enigma.

pattern: wh-clause + be an enigma

Common collocations
  • remain an enigma
  • still an enigma
  • an enigma to researchers
  • the enigma of
Synonyms
  • mystery

    more common and often used for something secret or unknown

  • puzzle

    stresses a problem that may be solved by thought or evidence

  • riddle

    often suggests a question or clue that invites an answer

Antonyms
  • answer

    the fact or explanation that finally makes the situation clear

  • explanation

    a clear account that removes the mystery

Grammar Patterns

be an enigma to + noun phrase

the enigma of + wh-clause

remain an enigma

Usage Note

Often follows linking verbs such as be, remain, and stay when people have looked at the facts but still cannot explain what happened.

Common Mistakes

The painting is very enigma.
The painting is an enigma.
'enigma' is a countable noun, not an adjective.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun/1, enigma is more formal than mystery and often sounds more literary or thoughtful. A mystery can simply be something unknown, especially in stories or crime reports. A puzzle usually suggests a problem that can be solved if you study the facts carefully. A riddle is often a question or clue with an answer hidden inside it. Conundrum often points to a difficult choice or a tricky problem rather than something deeply mysterious. You might say a missing key is a puzzle, a murder is a mystery, and an old signal from space is an enigma because it still feels hard to fully explain.

mystery ↗puzzle ↗riddle ↗conundrum ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • deepening enigma

Adverbs

  • still an enigma

Phrases

  • remain an enigma
  • stay an enigma
  • solve an enigma

Prepositions

  • an enigma to
  • the enigma of

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Enigma came into English through Latin from Greek, where the original verb meant to speak in riddles.

First known use

1539

1539, in the meaning defined at sense 3