mysterious
adjective
mys·te·ri·ous mi-ˈstir-ē-əs 
1
a
: of, relating to, or constituting mystery
the mysterious ways of God
b
: exciting wonder, curiosity, or surprise while baffling efforts to comprehend or identify : mystifying
heard a mysterious noise
a mysterious stranger
a mysterious plane crash
a mysterious illness
2
: stirred by or attracted to the inexplicable
… to help a mysterious wizard … ward off the end of the world with blood sacrifices.
Robert Houston
Robert Houston mysteriousness noun
Synonyms
- arcane
- cryptic
- deep
- enigmatic
- enigmatical
- impenetrable
- inscrutable
- mystic
- occult
- uncanny
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the mysterious ways of nature We heard a mysterious noise outside our tent. He died under mysterious circumstances. A mysterious illness has been spreading through the city. There's something mysterious about that old woman. Her behavior was very mysterious. See More
Recent Examples on the Web But purrs—one of the most recognizable sounds in the animal kingdom—are also one of the most mysterious. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Sep. 2022 Zendaya made waves with her most adult role yet in Malcolm & Marie, the initially mysterious pandemic project between herself, her Euphoria collaborator Sam Levinson, and John David Washington. Rivea Ruff, Essence, 1 Sep. 2022 The 2022 election grows more mysterious by the day. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 27 Aug. 2022 His page is consistently entertaining but remains slightly mysterious. Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2022 Nothing, however, could have prepared him for his most mysterious, craziest role yet: playing a Sasquatch. Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 20 Aug. 2022 Atlas moths usually live in tropical regions throughout Asia, which makes its presence in Washington all the more mysterious – and raises concerns about survival. Wyatte Grantham-philips, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2022 Doctors and researchers have exhaustively categorized those symptoms, which range from the mundane (cough, fever, headache) to the slightly mysterious (brain fog, loss of taste or smell, a pins-and-needles sensation). Carolyn Barber, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2022 Emilia Clarke is one of the actors Marvel chose for , but her role remains mysterious. Chris Smith, BGR, 16 Aug. 2022 See More
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Sep. 2022 Zendaya made waves with her most adult role yet in Malcolm & Marie, the initially mysterious pandemic project between herself, her Euphoria collaborator Sam Levinson, and John David Washington. Rivea Ruff, Essence, 1 Sep. 2022 The 2022 election grows more mysterious by the day. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 27 Aug. 2022 His page is consistently entertaining but remains slightly mysterious. Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2022 Nothing, however, could have prepared him for his most mysterious, craziest role yet: playing a Sasquatch. Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 20 Aug. 2022 Atlas moths usually live in tropical regions throughout Asia, which makes its presence in Washington all the more mysterious – and raises concerns about survival. Wyatte Grantham-philips, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2022 Doctors and researchers have exhaustively categorized those symptoms, which range from the mundane (cough, fever, headache) to the slightly mysterious (brain fog, loss of taste or smell, a pins-and-needles sensation). Carolyn Barber, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2022 Emilia Clarke is one of the actors Marvel chose for , but her role remains mysterious. Chris Smith, BGR, 16 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
mystery entry 1 + -ous, probably after Middle French mysterieux
First Known Use
1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing mysterious
Kids Definition
mysterious
adjective
mys·te·ri·ous mi-ˈstir-ē-əs
: strange, unknown, or hard to understand or explain
a mysterious noise
a mysterious stranger
mysterious
adjective
1
as in cryptic
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain the huge stone statues on Easter Island are ancient, mysterious, and haunting Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- cryptic
- enigmatic
- mystic
- uncanny
- obscure
- unexplainable
- dark
- inscrutable
- occult
- enigmatical
- deep
- mystical
- murky
- ambiguous
- vague
- arcane
- shadowy
- impenetrable
- confusing
- esoteric
- inexplicable
- metaphysical
- supernatural
- incomprehensible
- unfathomable
- fuzzy
- unknowable
- unaccountable
- puzzling
- darkling
- unintelligible
- imponderable
- bewildering
- baffling
- perplexing
- mystifying
- unanswerable
- confounding
- unsearchable
- numinous
- equivocal
- befuddling
- recondite
- abstruse
- disorienting
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- understandable
- intelligible
- obvious
- unmistakable
- apparent
- clear
- evident
- fathomable
- plain
- transparent
- manifest
- straightforward
- unequivocal
- palpable
- unambiguous
- perspicuous
- patent
- open-and-shut
2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning the stranger's mysterious prediction Synonyms & Similar Words
- ambiguous
- cryptic
- enigmatic
- dark
- obscure
- mystic
- esoteric
- murky
- enigmatical
- vague
- inscrutable
- unclear
- occult
- questionable
- nebulous
- opaque
- uncertain
- arcane
- deep
- confusing
- equivocal
- weird
- eerie
- complicated
- shadowy
- elliptical
- uncanny
- inexplicable
- obscurant
- fuliginous
- elliptic
- recondite
- incomprehensible
- puzzling
- abstruse
- shrouded
- Delphic
- fuzzy
- double-edged
- indistinct
- hazy
- disguised
- misty
- invisible
- complex
- difficult
- cloaked
- faint
- perplexing
- foggy
- baffling
- indirect
- masked
- concealed
- bewildering
- undetermined
- unknowable
- undefined
- mystifying
- eery
- indecipherable
- intangible
- indefinite
- confounding
- clouded
- muddy
- sphinxlike
- unanswerable
- unfathomable
- impenetrable
- dim
- cloudy
- shaded
- inexact
- indistinguishable
- noncommittal
- obscurantic
- impalpable
- shadowlike
- inappreciable
- inexplicit
- beclouded
- befogged
- obfuscatory
- obtuse
- circuitous
- bedimmed
- roundabout
- obnubilated
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- obvious
- certain
- distinct
- clear
- plain
- accessible
- unequivocal
- understandable
- unambiguous
- comprehensible
- intelligible
- knowable
- bright
- evident
- strong
- sure
- legible
- nonambiguous
- exact
- direct
- fathomable
- definite
- explicit
- straightforward
- tangible
- unmistakable
- visible
- determined
- firm
- defined
- pellucid
- appreciable
- self-evident
- self-explanatory
- palpable
- blatant
- patent