abstruse
UK: əbˈstruːs | US: əbˈstruːs
adj. difficult to understand; obscure or complex
abstruse = abs<away> + truse<thrust, push>
- abs (Latin abs-, meaning "away")
- truse (from Latin trudere, meaning "to thrust" or "to push")
Etymology Origin:
The word "abstruse" originates from the Latin abstrusus, the past participle of abstrudere ("to conceal, push away"). It combines abs- ("away") and trudere ("to thrust"), metaphorically suggesting ideas that are "pushed away" from easy comprehension. Over time, it evolved in English to describe concepts that are deeply hidden or intellectually challenging.
The professor's lecture on quantum mechanics was abstruse to most undergraduates.
Her poetry is often criticized for being unnecessarily abstruse.
The manual's abstruse language made it difficult to assemble the furniture.
Philosophers sometimes explore abstruse theories that defy common understanding.
Despite its abstruse subject matter, the book became a cult classic among scholars.