1.
enigmatic; mysterious; puzzling
Describes something that has an air of mystery or is hard to understand. Derived from the verb 謎めく (to seem mysterious) in its past/attributive form.
謎めいた笑みを浮かべた。
She wore an enigmatic smile.
彼は謎めいた言葉を残して去った。
He left behind mysterious words and departed.
その島には謎めいた遺跡がいくつも残されている。
Several enigmatic ruins remain on the island.
USAGE:
Always used before a noun to modify it. Gives a literary or atmospheric quality to descriptions. Common in novels, mystery stories, and evocative writing.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 謎めいた笑み (enigmatic smile)
- 謎めいた言葉 (mysterious words)
- 謎めいた雰囲気 (mysterious atmosphere)
- 謎めいた人物 (mysterious person)
GRAMMAR:
Derived from 謎めく (to seem mysterious, godan verb with the suffix めく). The た form is used as a pre-noun modifier. The base verb 謎めく can also be used predicatively: 何か謎めいている (there is something mysterious about it).