enigmatist means one who indulges in enigmas, especially one who often makes such enigmas. It carries an Arena rating of 1587, earned across 32 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, enigmatist ranks #5,346 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #5,773 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #6,042 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #6,057 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words.
enigmatist is pronounced /ˌɛnɪɡˈmætɪst/.
Why “enigmatist” is a great word
ENIGMATIST — [Noun] A person who devises or delights in enigmas and riddles. From Latin aenigmatista, from aenigma ("riddle, enigma") + the agent suffix -ista ("-ist"). First attested in English in 1621. Unlike a conjurer, who trades in visual sleight-of-hand, or a logician, who pursues unambiguous truth, the enigmatist traffics in deliberate ambiguity. It is the glint in the eye of the Sphinx, the hand that leaves a coded message in a newspaper personals column, and the precise click of a brass puzzle box—a subtle celebration of the gulf between being known and being understood.
Etymology
From enigmata (“plural of enigma”) + -ist.
noun
- One who indulges in enigmas, especially one who often makes such enigmas.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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