abstrus

Learned borrowing from Latin abstrūsus, perfect passive participle of abstrūdō.

• IPA^(key): /ap.stʁy/

• Audio:

  (file)

abstrus (feminine abstruse, masculine plural abstrus, feminine plural abstruses)

1. (literary, derogatory) abstruse

   Synonym: abscons

• “abstrus”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Borrowed from Latin abstrūsus. The alternative meaning of "absurd" is likely a result of contamination from absurd itself, both often being used in similar contexts.

• IPA^(key): [apˈstʁuːs]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːs

abstrus (strong nominative masculine singular abstruser, comparative abstruser, superlative am abstrusesten)

1. difficult to follow or comprehend, abstruse

   Synonym: verworren

2. (somewhat proscribed) absurd, nonsensical, very implausible (especially of claims, ideas)

   Synonyms: absurd, unsinnig, widersinnig, abwegig

   • 2012 December 11, Haluka Maier-Borst, “Erdlinge könnten länger existieren als gedacht”, in Zeit ONLINE‎^[1], archived from the original on 5 March 2025:

     Die abstruse Vision von einem Umzug zum nächsten bewohnbaren Planeten bleibt für die Menschheit deshalb weiterhin kein leichtes Unterfangen.

     So the far-fetched vision of moving to the next inhabitable planet will remain quite a challenging endeavor for humanity.

• While occasionally proscribed, the sense of "absurd" is the more common one in everyday usage, especially when talking about claims and ideas.

abstrus

1. abstrusely

• “abstrus” in Duden online
• “abstrus” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Borrowed from French abstrus.

abstrus m or n (feminine singular abstrusă, masculine plural abstruși, feminine and neuter plural abstruse)

1. abstruse

From Latin abstrusus.

abstrus (comparative abstrusare, superlative abstrusast)

1. abstruse, difficult to understand
2. nebulous, obscure, mysterious

• abstrus in Svensk ordbok (SO)

• basturs