mysteriousmys‧te‧ri‧ous /mɪˈstɪəriəs $ -ˈstɪr-/ ●●○ adjective 
The police are investigating the mysterious deaths of children at the hospital. Benson later disappeared in mysterious circumstances. There’s something mysterious going on.► see thesaurus at strange2a mysterious person is someone who you know very little about and who seems strange or interesting SYN enigmatic: I decided to find out more about my mysterious new neighbour. a mysterious stranger3someone who behaves in a mysterious way says very little about what they are doing SYN secretivemysterious about Helen’s being very mysterious about her plans. She hid her thoughts behind a mysterious smile.—mysteriously adverb: Jackson had mysteriously disappeared.THESAURUSmysterious difficult to explain or understand, and often strange or slightly frightening: · the mysterious disappearance of ships in the waters of the Bermuda Triangle· What’s that mysterious noise?puzzling difficult to explain or understand: · At first this must seem a puzzling question.· I found her attitude deeply puzzling.baffling impossible to understand, so that you feel very confused: · It was a baffling case.· Like many people, I find theoretical physics baffling.inexplicable formal impossible to explain: · For some inexplicable reason her mind went completely blank.· Some things in life are inexplicable.enigmatic formal mysterious and difficult to understand, but also often attractive or interesting – used especially about people, their expressions, or things they say: · She gave him an enigmatic smile.· an enigmatic remarkcryptic formal having a meaning that is difficult to understand, and is not expressed in a clear direct way – used especially about things that people say or write: · I got a rather cryptic message from him.· cryptic commentsbe a mystery if something is a mystery, you cannot understand how or why it happens: · Four years later, his death remains a complete mystery.· It’s all a mystery to me.be shrouded/veiled in mystery if an event or a situation, especially one that happened a long time ago, is shrouded in mystery, it is mysterious because no one knows exactly what happened: · Stone age civilization, veiled in mystery as it is, has provided the greatest challenge to historians.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a woman with a mysterious past
- He was an impostor -- dark, frightening and mysterious.
- He was seen leaving the building at midnight with two men -- it was all very mysterious.
- I kept getting mysterious phone calls where the caller would hang up as soon as I answered.
- No one could offer an explanation for his mysterious disappearance.
- Police are investigating the mysterious disappearance of a young schoolteacher.
- She had been suffering from mysterious fits for five years before the doctors diagnosed epilepsy.
- The General was killed in a mysterious plane crash.
- The ship vanished in mysterious circumstances, never to be seen again.
- There was something mysterious about him, and she wanted to ask him a lot of questions.
- Two weeks later, the shop burned to the ground under mysterious circumstances.
- Who killed the mysterious visitor to Pine Valley?
- You are a mysterious girl -- why won't you tell me your name?
- All of them with a tap root deep in history and branches lost in mysterious mist.
- At all times all wise men had revered the mysterious organ of generation through which alone might life be entered.
- He will bear a parcel from the mysterious, lovely, no-place-jacketed Carolina.
- Hidden along each Trail are nine mysterious clues.
- Ishmael suggests that various primitive tribes and various religions have always looked upon the sea as something mysterious and deep.
- Now he concentrated on the mysterious murders in the forest.
- The witch: An evil, mysterious character, with the classic, repulsive look of a witch.
- When the whale is cut up, the head resembles that of the mysterious Sphynx.
THESAURUS
difficult to explain or understand, and often strange or slightly frightening: · the mysterious disappearance of ships in the waters of the Bermuda Triangle· What’s that mysterious noise?
difficult to explain or understand: · At first this must seem a puzzling question.· I found her attitude deeply puzzling.
impossible to understand, so that you feel very confused: · It was a baffling case.· Like many people, I find theoretical physics baffling.
formal impossible to explain: · For some inexplicable reason her mind went completely blank.· Some things in life are inexplicable.
formal mysterious and difficult to understand, but also often attractive or interesting – used especially about people, their expressions, or things they say: · She gave him an enigmatic smile.· an enigmatic remark
formal having a meaning that is difficult to understand, and is not expressed in a clear direct way – used especially about things that people say or write: · I got a rather cryptic message from him.· cryptic comments
if something is a mystery, you cannot understand how or why it happens: · Four years later, his death remains a complete mystery.· It’s all a mystery to me.
if an event or a situation, especially one that happened a long time ago, is shrouded in mystery, it is mysterious because no one knows exactly what happened: · Stone age civilization, veiled in mystery as it is, has provided the greatest challenge to historians.
Longman Language Activatorstrange and difficult to explain or understand events, behaviour, or situations that are mysterious are difficult to explain or understand: · Police are investigating the mysterious disappearance of a young schoolteacher.· He was seen leaving the building at midnight with two men -- it was all very mysterious.· She had been suffering from mysterious fits for five years before the doctors diagnosed epilepsy.in mysterious circumstances: · The ship vanished in mysterious circumstances, never to be seen again.
very different from what you expect or from what usually happens, in a way that makes you feel a little frightened or surprised: · You say she's at home? That's strange because she told me she was going abroad for two weeks.· His strange behaviour made Teresa suspicious.it is strange that: · It was strange that she had had this baby with red hair when both she and her husband were very dark.
if something is a mystery , you cannot understand how or why it happens: · How had he escaped from prison without anyone's help? It was a mystery.it's a mystery (to me) why/what etc: · It is a mystery to me why people decide to get married.be a complete mystery: · Four years after the event, the scientist's suicide remains a complete mystery.
if an event or a situation, especially one that happened a long time ago, is shrouded in mystery , it is mysterious because no one knows exactly what happened: · The exact circumstances of Marilyn Monroe's death are shrouded in mystery.· Stone age civilization, veiled in mystery as it is, has provided the greatest challenge to historians.
happening in a mysterious way · The letter had mysteriously appeared on my desk that morning.· Joseph was mysteriously absent from work that morning.· The aircraft had disappeared mysteriously from radar screens.
in a way that is very different from what you expect or from what usually happens, so that you feel a little frightened or surprised: · He looked at me strangely and said that he would come back later.· When we returned to the hotel we found the place strangely silent.
if something happens as if by magic , it happens in a sudden and surprising way that seems impossible to explain: · The mysterious circles appeared in the fields overnight, as if by magic.· I was just wondering how I could get home, when suddenly, as if by magic, a taxi pulled up.
a mysterious situation an event or situation that no one can understand or explain: mystery of: · No one has ever been able to explain the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle.be a mystery to somebody: · It's a mystery to me how Gayle managed to get here before us.mystery illness/crash/phonecall etc: · Ten firemen were in hospital with a mystery illness last night.unravel/solve a mystery (=find an explanation for a mystery): · Police are still trying to unravel the mystery of how the prisoner managed to escape.the mystery deepens (=something becomes more difficult to explain): · The mystery deepens as more witnesses come forward to tell different stories.
a situation that is difficult to understand or explain, and that is interesting because of this: · As I studied more about their past, I became more puzzled, and the enigma expanded.be something of an enigma: · It is something of an enigma how a man who could not bear to hurt a living thing could serve as defence secretary.
something such as a question or a problem that people do not understand and cannot explain: riddle of: · Doctors have found a new clue to the riddle of cot death.solve a riddle: · Other interviewers who have met Geri have tried to solve the riddle of her success.be a riddle to somebody: · Why would Ian want to claim his inheritance and then give all his money away? It was a riddle to me.
something that is very difficult to understand or explain but which can sometimes be explained by putting pieces of information together: · The police have almost solved the case but one important piece of the puzzle is still missing: the murder weapon.solve a puzzle: · In 1953 the intricate puzzle of DNA's structure was solved in a Cambridge laboratory.
people that are mysterious if someone is mysterious , other people do not know much about them and do not understand their reasons for doing things: · You are a mysterious girl -- why won't you tell me your name?· There was something mysterious about him, and she wanted to ask him a lot of questions.· He was an impostor -- dark, frightening and mysterious.
if someone is enigmatic it is difficult to understand their character or behaviour, especially because they keep information about themselves secret: · He was fascinated by the enigmatic actress.· Freud remains today an enigmatic figure.· Ever since the start of the journey Ahamado had remained enigmatic, silent and unforthcoming.
if someone is a mystery , you cannot explain or understand their behaviour: be a mystery to: · Women are a complete mystery to me.
someone who is difficult to understand, and is therefore interesting: · Madeleine was still very much an enigma to him.
strange situations, experiences, smells, tastes etc very different from what you expect or from what usually happens, in a way that makes you feel a little frightened or surprised: · A strange noise woke her up.· I had a strange feeling that I'd been there before.· Amanda's eyes glowed in a strange way, like a cat's.· He seemed to know lots of things about me, but the strange thing is I didn't even tell him my name.it is strange that: · It's strange that you've never met him - he lives in your street.
also odd especially British something funny or odd is a little strange and it makes you feel slightly worried or surprised because you cannot explain it or you do not know what it is: · There's a funny smell coming from the fridge.· Thumps and laughter and odd noises were coming out of the living room.it is funny/odd that: · It seems odd that no one noticed him coming in.· It's funny that he managed to hit the ball because he never hits it in practice.that's funny/that's odd spoken: · "Your keys aren't here." "That's funny - I'm sure I left them on the table."
strange and slightly unpleasant: · This meat tastes peculiar.· I've been having very peculiar dreams the past few weeks.· I heard a peculiar warbling from the living room.
use this about something that people know very little about and that is difficult to explain or understand: · No one could offer an explanation for his mysterious disappearance.· I kept getting mysterious phone calls where the caller would hang up as soon as I answered.under mysterious circumstances: · Two weeks later, the shop burned to the ground under mysterious circumstances.
a weird experience, feeling, sight, or sound is strange and very different from what you are used to: · She only had lipstick on her bottom lip which looked pretty weird.· It's a weird feeling to go back to a place that you lived in a long time ago.
extremely strange, and very different from what is generally considered to be normal, especially in a frightening or slightly worrying way: · Woods disappeared in very bizarre circumstances, and no trace of him has ever been found.· It was bizarre - if we took longer than five minutes in the bathroom, we had to explain why to our manager.
strange and frightening: · An eerie howl filled the cave.· I had the eerie feeling that somebody was watching me.· The pumps were shut off now. It was eerie, being in the factory without their sound.
extremely strange, because nothing seems connected with real life or normal experiences, and things happen or appear together that do not belong together: · Living on the commune turned out to be a surreal experience.· The whole trial and the media circus surrounding it was surreal.
strange and surprising but interesting, so that you want to know more about it: · Life in the village was a curious combination of the old and the very new.· He had come to some curious arrangement with his landlady.
an ironic situation seems strange and amusing, because something happens that you would not expect at all: · Her car was stolen from outside the police station, which is pretty ironic.· One of the study's ironic discoveries is that TV trials educate the public about the justice system better than actual trials.it is ironic that: · It's ironic that professional athletes are often such unhealthy people.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Benson later disappeared in mysterious circumstances.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES There have been reports of strange happenings in the town.
1mysterious events or situations are difficult to explain or understand: Benson later disappeared in mysterious circumstances. (=strange or suspicious)· One of their colleagues had vanished in mysterious circumstances.
(=used to say that someone may have been killed)· He got involved with drug dealers and died in mysterious circumstances.
There have been reports of strange happenings in the town.· She never knew who the mysterious stranger was who had helped her that night.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· They would prefer to keep the mysteries of nature as mysterious as possible.· The significance of this link is as mysterious as everything else to do with the Prieure.· The rooms were just as mysterious.· His death was as mysterious as his life.· Washed in shadow he looked as mysterious as when she first met him.· It was a gift. As mysterious and as simple as that.· The purpose of the vast megalithic constructions, for example, remains almost as mysterious now as it did in the nineteenth century.
· Its mystery somehow diminished life, or did it enlarge it by making life and its purpose more mysterious still.· In fact, according to the rules of quantum mechanics, what is happening is even more mysterious than that!· These days it seems something more mysterious, but also somehow more real.· The pines are darker and more mysterious than ever.· Even more mysterious were the tins of pre-mixed tea, milk and sugar, to which people tried to add water.· However, after that first burst of idea and feeling, it presents a deeper, more mysterious sadness.· Indeed, now that I know about the Marmite and the teenage sons it seems more mysterious than ever.· A missing princess is more mysterious than a found one.
· Nowadays, of course, we understand that it was this way of talking about ethical abstractions that made them seem so mysterious.· Now their job is easier-the links are no longer so mysterious.· It's not half so mysterious when you've got a horde of parents dragging screaming kids around it.· She didn't need to pretend it was all so mysterious.· And perhaps the reasons for his quasi-retirement are not so mysterious after all.· The second feature, the power system, is not so mysterious.
· It's all very mysterious - why, for instance, does Cape still need a managing director but not Chatto?· Television: Your little Hubble-vision into a very mysterious world.· She was tall and dark and pale, and looked very mysterious and romantic.· The wheeling and dealing of regimes is presumably not very mysterious.· Blanche DuBois arrives at Stella's and Stanley's house under very mysterious circumstances.
NOUN· The defendants stored on their land large quantities of combustible materials which ignited in mysterious circumstances.· The latest wave of repression began after Ali Akbar SaidiSirjani died in detention under mysterious circumstances in the end of 1994.· That Pheidias died in prison under mysterious circumstances, as Plutarch says, is a later and unfounded tradition.· Tethlis dies afterwards under mysterious circumstances.· Some had died in rather mysterious circumstances, others been sent abroad on this task or the other.· Eight others connected directly or indirectly with the dig later died in mysterious circumstances.· Blanche DuBois arrives at Stella's and Stanley's house under very mysterious circumstances.
· Of course, you will have to have what P. D. James called the mysterious death at the heart of your story.· But it will have to be more than the mysterious death used in the old, simple detective story.· There is, she says, always a mysterious death at its heart.· The two-hour film is due to be screened on November 5, the second anniversary of the publisher's mysterious death.· Most of the £406 million cash he owes was swindled from pension funds by his father before his mysterious death last year.· Whilst she was employed as a maid in various establishments, other staff members met mysterious deaths, usually from poison.
· Her heart quickened - perhaps they were discussing Puddephat's mysterious disappearance?· The mysterious disappearance of Mr. Stavanger alone is something that needs to be cleared up.· Read in studio A search has been launched after a couples mysterious disappearance.· Read in studio Police say they're baffled by the mysterious disappearance of a twenty nine year old farmer.
· As the mysterious man following Blackeyes, Nigel Planer speaks at last, though he has damn all to say.· And some mysterious man in the gym.· Could she have triggered some unwanted response in this mysterious man, entirely by accident?· This must be the place where the mysterious man was hiding!· As I looked round the hut, I knew that the mysterious man must have a very strong character.· This mysterious man had penetrated Jaq's Tarot.· I felt frightened as I waited for the mysterious man.· Barrymore did not know in which of them the mysterious man was living.
· Theories, however, operate in mysterious ways.· But events have moved in mysterious ways.· History repeats itself in some less than mysterious ways.· In some mysterious way, from this horror of blank boundless vacancy the best of all things came into being.· But love and scandal move in mysterious ways.· He was smiling, frustrating Jerome in some mysterious way.· Yet she knew the dead touched the living in unexpected and mysterious ways.
· Theories, however, operate in mysterious ways.· But events have moved in mysterious ways.· History repeats itself in some less than mysterious ways.· But love and scandal move in mysterious ways.· Yet she knew the dead touched the living in unexpected and mysterious ways.
The police are investigating the mysterious deaths of children at the hospital. Benson later disappeared in mysterious circumstances. There’s something mysterious going on.► see thesaurus at strange2a mysterious person is someone who you know very little about and who seems strange or interesting SYN enigmatic: I decided to find out more about my mysterious new neighbour. a mysterious stranger3someone who behaves in a mysterious way says very little about what they are doing SYN secretivemysterious about Helen’s being very mysterious about her plans. She hid her thoughts behind a mysterious smile.—mysteriously adverb: Jackson had mysteriously disappeared.THESAURUSmysterious difficult to explain or understand, and often strange or slightly frightening: · the mysterious disappearance of ships in the waters of the Bermuda Triangle· What’s that mysterious noise?puzzling difficult to explain or understand: · At first this must seem a puzzling question.· I found her attitude deeply puzzling.baffling impossible to understand, so that you feel very confused: · It was a baffling case.· Like many people, I find theoretical physics baffling.inexplicable formal impossible to explain: · For some inexplicable reason her mind went completely blank.· Some things in life are inexplicable.enigmatic formal mysterious and difficult to understand, but also often attractive or interesting – used especially about people, their expressions, or things they say: · She gave him an enigmatic smile.· an enigmatic remarkcryptic formal having a meaning that is difficult to understand, and is not expressed in a clear direct way – used especially about things that people say or write: · I got a rather cryptic message from him.· cryptic commentsbe a mystery if something is a mystery, you cannot understand how or why it happens: · Four years later, his death remains a complete mystery.· It’s all a mystery to me.be shrouded/veiled in mystery if an event or a situation, especially one that happened a long time ago, is shrouded in mystery, it is mysterious because no one knows exactly what happened: · Stone age civilization, veiled in mystery as it is, has provided the greatest challenge to historians.