Other forms: enigmas
An enigma is a person or thing that nobody can work out. Remain an enigma, something of an enigma, the enigma of his silence.
It suggests the puzzle is interesting rather than merely unsolved, which is why it is nearly always said with some admiration. Enigma was the name of the German cipher machine of the Second World War, broken at Bletchley Park.
1nounenigmaA person or thing that nobody can work out.
“Even to his closest friends, the quiet artist remained an enigma.”
enigma is a puzzle.
Greek ainigma means a dark saying, from ainissesthai, to speak in riddles.
Latin
aenigma — riddle
English, today
enigma
Built from
From Latin aenigma (“riddle”), being derived itself from the Ancient Greek - verbal noun αἴνιγμα (“dark saying, speaking in riddles”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA