different between abstruse vs indistinct

English

Etymology

From French abstrus or its source, Latin abstr?sus (“hidden, concealed”), the perfect passive participle of abstr?d? (“conceal, to push away”), itself from ab, abs (“away”) + tr?d? (“thrust, push”). Cognate with German abstrus.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?b?st?u?s/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /æb?st?us/, /?b-/
• Rhymes: -u?s
• Hyphenation: ab?struse

Adjective

abstruse (comparative abstruser or more abstruse, superlative abstrusest or most abstruse)

1. Difficult to comprehend or understand. [from late 16th c.]

   Synonyms: esoteric, obscure, recondite
2. (obsolete) Concealed or hidden out of the way; secret. [from late 16th c. until mid 18th c.]

Usage notes

More abstruse and most abstruse are the preferred forms over abstruser and abstrusest.

Synonyms

• (concealed): clandestine, secret, surreptitious; See also Thesaurus:covert
• (difficult to comprehend): esoteric, obscure, recondite; See also Thesaurus:incomprehensible

Derived terms

• abstrusely
• abstruseness

Translations

References

Further reading

• abstruse in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• abstruse in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• Staubers, Straubes, surbates, surbeats

French

Adjective

abstruse

1. feminine singular of abstrus

Anagrams

• arbustes

German

Adjective

abstruse

1. inflection of abstrus:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Latin

Participle

abstr?se

1. vocative masculine singular of abstr?sus

References

• abstruse in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press

English

Etymology

From Middle French indistinct, from Latin indistinctus

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /??nd?s?t??kt/

Adjective

indistinct (comparative more indistinct, superlative most indistinct)

1. (of an image etc) not clearly defined or not having a sharp outline; faint or dim

   Synonyms: fuzzy, ill-defined; see also Thesaurus:indistinct

2. (of a thought, idea etc) hazy or vague

   Synonyms: ambiguous, equivocal; see also Thesaurus:vague

3. (of speech) difficult to understand through being muffled or slurred

Antonyms

• distinct

Translations

French

Etymology

From Latin indist?nctus.

Adjective

indistinct (feminine singular indistincte, masculine plural indistincts, feminine plural indistinctes)

1. not distinct; not easily distinguishable

Further reading

• “indistinct” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Romanian

Etymology

From French indistinct, from Latin indistinctus.

Adjective

indistinct m or n (feminine singular indistinct?, masculine plural indistinc?i, feminine and neuter plural indistincte)

1. indistinct

Declension