cryptic
/ˈkɹɪptɪk/adjective, noun
cryptic is spelled C-R-Y-P-T-I-C: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,516th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, cryptic means “Having hidden (unapparent) meaning” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in cryptic?
| Letters | 7: C-R-Y-P-T-I-C |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.7 times per million words; the 21,516th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is cryptic?
Cryptic appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,516th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce cryptic?
- /ˈkɹɪptɪk/
Cryptic has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-cryptic.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of cryptic
- more cryptic comparative
- most cryptic superlative
- cryptics plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does cryptic mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Having hidden (unapparent) meaning.
- 2
Mystified or of an obscure nature; not easy to perceive.
- 3
Involving use of a code or cipher.
- 4
Of a crossword puzzle, or a clue in such a puzzle, using, in addition to definitions, wordplay such as anagrams, homophones and hidden words to indicate solutions.
- 5
Well camouflaged; having good camouflage.
Lonomia caterpillars are extremely cryptic.
- 6
Serving as camouflage.
cryptic colouring
- 7
Apparently identical, but actually genetically distinct.
cryptic species
- 8
Living in a cavity or small cave.
noun
- 1
informalA cryptic crossword puzzle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Cryptic in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | cryptique , mystérieux, énigmatique |
| German | kryptisch |
| Portuguese | críptico |
| Spanish | críptico |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does cryptic come from?
From Late Latin crypticus, from Ancient Greek κρυπτικός (kruptikós), from κρυπτός (kruptós, “hidden”), from κρύπτω (krúptō, “to hide”). Doublet of kryptic.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).