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Enigma

< ah - neeg - ma >

An enigma is a riddle.  So instead of saying... "That's a riddle."  You can say... "That is an enigma".

An enigma is harder to solve than a riddle.  An enigma implies that it may never be understood. Such as... "The pyramids are an enigma. No one knows how they were made."

See? The idea is that it may never be solved.  A riddle has the idea that it is solvable.  An enigma also gives the idea that it will take great skill to solve it.  A riddle can be solved by anyone- an enigma can only be solved by an expert.

An enigma is a noun... since it is a thing.

From Englishionary:

It is also a dark, obscure, or inexplicable saying. A riddle. A statement. The hidden meaning of which is to be discovered or guessed.

  

“A custom was among the ancients of proposing an enigma at festivals.” Pope.

An action, mode of action, or thing, which cannot be satisfactorily explained; a puzzle; as his conduct is an enigma.

Relating to or resembling an enigma; not easily explained or accounted for; darkly expressed; obscure; puzzling; as an enigmatical answer.

So... say: "That's quite an enigma. I don't understand it."

 "I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth."

- Umberto Eco

“I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma: but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interests.” ~ Winston Churchill

Listen to Pronunciation: Enigma

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