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
The station’s broadcast becomes warped by a mysterious signal hidden deep beneath the city’s subway system.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 May 2026
The mysterious circumstances surrounding the 54-year-old's death sparked a criminal investigation that led to several arrests.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 13 May 2026
The film is helmed by Tran Huu Tan and Hoang Quan, who share directing and producing duties, and centers on a young man who begins documenting strange events in his home after his father’s mysterious death.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 May 2026
Could this be the missing link in our understanding of which mysterious violent events fling these intense particles toward Earth?
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
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Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 May 2026
The mysterious circumstances surrounding the 54-year-old's death sparked a criminal investigation that led to several arrests.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 13 May 2026
The film is helmed by Tran Huu Tan and Hoang Quan, who share directing and producing duties, and centers on a young man who begins documenting strange events in his home after his father’s mysterious death.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 May 2026
Could this be the missing link in our understanding of which mysterious violent events fling these intense particles toward Earth?
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 13 May 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 15 May. 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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