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
Examples of mysterious in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
The upcoming hearing, which will include public testimony under oath from four new witnesses, is the third in as many years since a fiery hearing in July 2023 reignited public fascination in mysterious airborne craft.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
The series centers around a deep-space research vessel crash-lands on Earth, bringing with it mysterious and terrifying life forms, such as the Xenomorph.
—Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Season 5 dives into the contrast between old and new New York, with secret billionaires, mobsters and mysterious residents infiltrating the building.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Part of the surprise might stem from how private and mysterious the actor is.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
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Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
The series centers around a deep-space research vessel crash-lands on Earth, bringing with it mysterious and terrifying life forms, such as the Xenomorph.
—Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Season 5 dives into the contrast between old and new New York, with secret billionaires, mobsters and mysterious residents infiltrating the building.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Part of the surprise might stem from how private and mysterious the actor is.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Cite this Entry
“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mysterious. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mysterious
adjective
mys·te·ri·ous
mis-ˈtir-ē-əs
: containing, suggesting, or presenting a mystery
mysterious noises
also
: difficult or impossible to understand
the mysterious ways of nature
mysteriously
adverb
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