Abstrusely

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /əbˈstɹuːs.li/

Definitions

1. In a fashion that makes concepts difficult to interpret By conveying thoughts in a way that is convoluted and hard to follow In a style that obscures clarity and complicates understanding of ideas
2. Done in a way that conceals meaning and prevents easy comprehension
3. Expressed so as to make the subject confusing and not straightforward

Etymology: "Abstrusely" is simply "abstruse" with the adverbial ending "-ly" added. The "-ly" suffix traces back to a Proto-Germanic word meaning "body" or "form," which became the Old English "-līċe," used to turn adjectives into adverbs describing the manner of an action. Over time it was reduced to "-ly" in Middle English and has remained the standard way to form English adverbs. "Abstruse" itself is the more interesting part. It comes from the Latin "abstrusus," the past participle of "abstrudere," meaning "to thrust away" or "to conceal," built from "ab-" (away) and "trudere" (to thrust). So a word that describes something hidden from view began as a physical act of pushing something out of sight. An abstruse argument is one that has been pushed away from easy reach.

Synonyms: obscurely, cryptically

Antonyms: clearly, plainly