List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 10

SYNONYMS: ambiguous, equivocal, obscure, recondite, abstruse, vague, cryptic, enigmatic.
These adjectives mean lacking clarity of meaning.

Ambiguous indicates the presence of two or more possible meanings: Frustrated by ambiguous instructions, the parents weren't able to assemble the new toy.
Something equivocal is unclear or misleading, sometimes as a result of a deliberate effort to avoid exposure of one's position: The polling had a complex and equivocal message for potential female candidates at all levels.
Obscure implies that meaning is hidden, either from lack of clarity of expression or from inherent difficulty of comprehension: Those who do not appreciate Kafka's work say his style is obscure and too complex.
Recondite and abstruse connote the erudite obscurity of the scholar: some recondite problem in historiography. The professor's lectures were so abstruse that students often avoided them.
What is vague is unclear because it is expressed in an indefinite form or because it reflects imprecision of thought: He had just vague memories of his childhood.
Cryptic suggests a puzzling terseness that is often intended to discourage understanding: The new insurance policy is written without cryptic or mysterious terms.
Something enigmatic is mysterious, puzzling, and often challenging: I didn't grasp the meaning of that enigmatic comment.