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 …—
Robert Houston
Robert Houston
mysteriousness
noun
Synonyms of mysterious
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
But the origin of Wheeler’s second statement remained mysterious; in their models, matter didn’t tell space how to curve.
—Quanta Magazine, 3 June 2026
This haunting series, which has over 200 million views, was a part of a larger online movement on platforms like Reddit and TikTok that became fixated on mysterious spaces.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
More shoppers are pausing in the grocery store to take a closer look at ingredient lists, especially since many products nowadays contain mysterious additives.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
Meanwhile, a meteorologist named Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) begins having a mysterious epiphany.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
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Quanta Magazine, 3 June 2026
This haunting series, which has over 200 million views, was a part of a larger online movement on platforms like Reddit and TikTok that became fixated on mysterious spaces.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
More shoppers are pausing in the grocery store to take a closer look at ingredient lists, especially since many products nowadays contain mysterious additives.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
Meanwhile, a meteorologist named Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) begins having a mysterious epiphany.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Cite this Entry
“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mysterious. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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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