The meaning of Esoteric

adjective

Existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence.

Usage examples:

Abstract concepts such as love or beauty

verb

Consider something theoretically or separately from (something else).

Usage examples:

To abstract science and religion from their historical context can lead to anachronism

noun

A summary of the contents of a book, article, or speech.

Usage examples:

An abstract of her speech

adjective

Difficult to understand; obscure.

Usage examples:

An abstruse philosophical inquiry

adjective

Not known or understood by many people

Usage examples:

An abstruse philosophical essay

adjective

Understood by few; mysterious or secret.

Usage examples:

Arcane procedures for electing people

adjective

Consisting of many different and connected parts.

Usage examples:

A complex network of water channels

noun

A group or system of different things that are linked in a close or complicated way; a network.

Usage examples:

A complex of mountain roads

verb

Make (an atom or compound) form a complex with another.

Usage examples:

The dna was complexed with the nuclear extract

adjective

Consisting of many interconnecting parts or elements; intricate.

Usage examples:

A complicated stereo system

verb

Make (something) more complicated.

Usage examples:

Increased choice will complicate matters for the consumer

adjective

Having many parts that are organized in a way that may be difficult to understand

Usage examples:

A complicated machine/process, he gave me directions, but they were so complicated i got lost.

adjective

Having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure.

Usage examples:

He found his boss's utterances too cryptic

adjective

Mysterious and difficult to understand

Usage examples:

A cryptic message/remark

adjective

Relating to the ancient greek sanctuary (= holy place) at delphi, or the oracle (= female priest) who gave advice there

Usage examples:

Croesus, king of lydia, asked the delphic oracle if he should attack persia., a delphic pronounceme…

adjective

Needing much effort or skill to accomplish, deal with, or understand.

Usage examples:

She had a difficult decision to make

adjective

Not easy or simple; hard to do or to understand

Usage examples:

It’s a difficult choice, but i’ve got to decide which job is better., he’s in a difficult situation…

adjective

Difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious.

Usage examples:

He took the money with an enigmatic smile

adjective

Mysterious and impossible to understand completely

Usage examples:

The mona lisa has a famously enigmatic smile., he left an enigmatic message on my answering machine.

adjective

Solid, firm, and rigid; not easily broken, bent, or pierced.

Usage examples:

The slate broke on the hard floor

adverb

With a great deal of effort.

Usage examples:

They work hard at school

noun

(of a consonant) pronounced as a velar plosive (as c in cat, g in go ).

adjective

Impossible to understand or interpret.

Usage examples:

Guy looked blankly inscrutable

adjective

Difficult to understand; complicated.

Usage examples:

A long, involved conversation

verb

Have or include (something) as a necessary or integral part or result.

Usage examples:

My job involves a lot of travelling

adjective

Difficult to understand or deal with; complicated

Usage examples:

His story was so involved that i couldn’t follow it., maria was so involved in her work that she di…

adjective

Not discovered or known about; uncertain.

Usage examples:

His origins and parentage are obscure

verb

Keep from being seen; conceal.

Usage examples:

Grey clouds obscure the sun

adjective

Not known to many people

Usage examples:

An obscure 18th-century painter, official policy has changed for reasons that remain obscure.

adjective

Completely baffling; very puzzling.

Usage examples:

A perplexing problem

verb

Make (someone) feel completely baffled.

Usage examples:

She was perplexed by her husband's moodiness

adjective

Confusing, often because you do not know how to solve something

Usage examples:

They find the company's attitude perplexing and unreasonable., the rise in childhood mental illness…

adjective

Causing one to be puzzled; perplexing.

Usage examples:

Only one very puzzling question remains unanswered

verb

Cause (someone) to feel confused because they cannot understand something.

Usage examples:

She was puzzled by the doctor's manner

adjective

Difficult to explain or understand

Usage examples:

It's a rather puzzling film., a puzzling situation

adjective

(of air, especially that at high altitudes) of lower pressure than usual; thin.

Usage examples:

Every ounce carried counts triple when you're trudging uphill in rarefied air

verb

Make or become less dense or solid.

Usage examples:

Air rarefies and degrounds the physical body

adjective

Not ordinary, esp. because of being related to wealth, high social position, art, or literature

Usage examples:

You get a very rarefied view of things living on a college campus.

adjective

Rare, exotic, or obscure.

Usage examples:

A few linguistic terms are perhaps a bit recherché for the average readership

adjective

(of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse.

Usage examples:

The book is full of recondite information

adjective

Not known about by many people and difficult to understand

Usage examples:

We had to work from material that was both complex and recondite.