mysterious

adjective

mys·​te·​ri·​ous mi-ˈstir-ē-əs How to pronounce mysterious (audio)
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
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 For one thing, an alien culture in which the frankness and frisson of New York are replaced with mysterious rules and empty niceties. Boris Kachka, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 Don’t tell my furry friend of indeterminate origin and mysterious heritage, but French Bulldogs are the most popular dog breed in the United States, according to American Kennel Club rankings released Wednesday. Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2024 Indigenous people continued to survive on Mona for another hundred years — much longer than elsewhere in the region — taking refuge in the island’s mysterious interior. Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 A number of Napa Valley’s most notable wineries have become caught up in a mysterious federal probe. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024 Written by Ulrike Tony Vahl and produced by Martina Haubrich, the German series follows an idyllic community torn asunder when its children fall prey to a mysterious malady. Ben Croll, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 Set a century before Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Amandla Stenberg’s mysterious character appears to be hunting Jedi during a time of peace near the end of the High Republic era. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2024 Sure, 20 months passed between separate 10-day writing and recording sessions at Watt’s Beverly Hills, Ca., home studio in July 2021 and Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La in Malibu in March 2023, but Pearl Jam work in mysterious ways. Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 19 Mar. 2024 Timing contractions, the pressure of a fetus against the pelvis, the mysterious fluids produced during labor and the almost mechanical way hospitals treat their patients are all mined for clever jokes. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mysterious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

mystery entry 1 + -ous, probably after Middle French mysterieux

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of mysterious was in 1578

Dictionary Entries Near mysterious

Cite this Entry

“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mysterious. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mysterious

adjective
mys·​te·​ri·​ous mis-ˈtir-ē-əs How to pronounce mysterious (audio)
: containing, suggesting, or presenting a mystery
mysterious noises
also : difficult or impossible to understand
the mysterious ways of nature
mysteriously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on mysterious

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