mystique

noun

mys·tique | \ mi-ˈstēk

Definition of mystique

1 : an air or attitude of mystery (see mystery entry 1 sense 2) and reverence developing around something or someone the legendary singer's mystique the mystique of the liturgy

2 : the special esoteric skill essential in a calling or activity the mystique of yoga the mystique of hang gliding

Examples of mystique in a Sentence

There's a certain mystique to people who fight fires. No one has been able to copy the legendary singer's mystique. the mystique of mountain climbing

Recent Examples on the Web

Her afro is elegantly wrapped in a black turban with an intricate sheer veil, which adds another element of gender mystique. — Terry Nguyen, Teen Vogue, "Zazie Beetz’s Suit-Dress Is The Definition of Camp," 7 May 2019 Sure, there’s previously been talk of staging an outdoor junior-hockey game at T-Mobile Park, but Bettman does have a point about a roof taking away some of the mystique. — Geoff Baker, The Seattle Times, "Outdoor NHL game in Seattle? As good a chance as the new team being named ‘Kraken’," 14 Jan. 2019 That’s a difficult assertion to nail down, but there’s no doubt that long history, great acoustics and big names have imbued this address with a singular mystique. — Christopher Reynolds, latimes.com, "Step inside New York’s Carnegie Hall, where beautiful music and stirring history ring out," 23 Mar. 2018 In the century since her death, Queen Victoria's mystique has only grown. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "What Was Queen Victoria Like as a Mother?," 13 Jan. 2019 Yet, as disaffection and economic problems grow ahead of the Islamic Revolution's 40th anniversary, mystique around Iran's age of monarchies persists even with its own history of abuses. — Jon Gambrell, chicagotribune.com, "Mummified body found in Iran could be father of last shah," 24 Apr. 2018 The bizarre naming conventions of each set only further the mystique and foster an emotional attachment to your cards. — Charlie Theel, Ars Technica, "KeyForge: The red-hot card game where every deck is unique—and unchangeable," 15 Dec. 2018 Bush was the last president to serve under—and add to—that American mystique. — Peggy Noonan, WSJ, "History Gives George Bush His Due," 6 Dec. 2018 As important as these other renovations are to the $50-million-plus project, none has quite the mystique of the renovations and reconfigurations taking place around the 3,000-year-old Sphinx. — Stephan Salisbury, Philly.com, "Visit the Penn Museum's Sphinx this weekend, or wait another 4 to 6 years," 5 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mystique.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.