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
All do so, apart from the titular madman, who has a mysterious reason to stay behind.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 20 June 2025
The story in the graphic novel picks up 10 years after the events of the eponymous 1980 movie, as Joliet Jake disappears from prison under mysterious circumstances.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2025
The mysterious winner purchased the ticket at Bondi Junction Newsagency & Internet Café in Sydney.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 19 June 2025
The mysterious deliveries have authorities worried that they could be intended to send a menacing message, according to congressional sources and others familiar with the matter.
—Jack Date, ABC News, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
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Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 20 June 2025
The story in the graphic novel picks up 10 years after the events of the eponymous 1980 movie, as Joliet Jake disappears from prison under mysterious circumstances.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2025
The mysterious winner purchased the ticket at Bondi Junction Newsagency & Internet Café in Sydney.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 19 June 2025
The mysterious deliveries have authorities worried that they could be intended to send a menacing message, according to congressional sources and others familiar with the matter.
—Jack Date, ABC News, 18 June 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 30 Jun. 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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