mysterious

adjective

mi-ˈstir-ē-əs How to pronounce mysterious (audio)
Definition of mysteriousnext
1
as in cryptic
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain the huge stone statues on Easter Island are ancient, mysterious, and haunting

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning the stranger's mysterious prediction

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mysterious Studying stars like this one could help scientists measure those mysterious properties, including how fast the supermassive black hole spins. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026 The mysterious wounds found on one of the world's oldest orcas have triggered an investigation in Spain and raised questions about whether someone took aim at the famed killer whale amid years of tense encounters between orcas and boats. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026 The unique architecture and porthole windows, the interesting histories and mysterious lore, the picture-perfect lakeside settings … lighthouses never fail to spark my curiosity and inspire me to pull out my camera. — Midwest Living, 18 Aug. 2026 On this day in 1911, a woman with a mysterious smile went missing. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mysterious
  1. cryptic
  2. ambiguous
  3. enigmatic
  4. dark
  5. mystic
  6. obscure
  7. uncanny
  8. deep
Adjective
  • In response to a cryptic message, Hal rockets to Rushville—literally, because his ring gives him the power of flight—arriving to a murder scene and leaving a confused John to follow by plane.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The messaging was somewhat cryptic, but that was his way of saying goodbye.
    — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of cryptic
Adjective
  • Prospective tenants are not allowed to tour the place before renting, and residents have long reported dicey roommate situations and ambiguous policies surrounding tenant rights and eviction.
    — Diamy Wang August 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The fate of Duke, diagnosed with a life-threatening ascending aortic aneurysm, is ambiguous.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • Joe is mostly effective as an enigmatic protagonist bordering on an unreliable narrator.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Her conversation consisted primarily of declarations, some more enigmatic than others.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • Things take a dark turn, however, after a series of unexplainable deaths draw Hal and John to a small town in Nebraska.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Way back in 2012, Supreme collaborated on another Air Force 1 with a dark green camo canvas upper, box logo hangtag and gum outsole that can hit the $1,000 range on resale platforms.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • The piece, inspired by the 12th-century polymathic mystic Saint Hildegard of Bingen, was skin-tinglingly breathy and slow, with long tones (played by Malone and her accompanist Stephen O’Malley) that rose up and swirled around the room.
    — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Poetry of a Hindu mystic Kashmir gradually became a predominantly Muslim society after the Shah Mir dynasty came to power in the 14th century.
    — Peter Dziedzic, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
Definition of mystic
Adjective
  • In this series, Christopher Goffard revisits old crimes in Los Angeles and beyond, from the famous to the forgotten, the consequential to the obscure, diving into archives and the memories of those who were there.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Sure, there are way too many people asking for drawings of obscure anime characters that are nearly impossible to pull off with the bare-bones MS-Paint-like tool in two-and-a-half minutes.
    — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • Yesterday’s punk, grunge, and rebel-outsider upstarts have an uncanny way of evolving into today’s elder statesmen of respectable infamy.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
  • In Season 2, Armison played Max Sugar, a legendary gambling savant with an uncanny ability to read people like cards in the half-hour series.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncanny
Adjective
  • There was no controversy about this New York win, a night after Pete Alonso's deep fly ball against the Yankees was ruled foul with the game tied.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Born and raised in Nogales, Mexico, the fourth of twelve children, Trujillo had deep community roots.
    — Allie Torgan, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of deep

Browse Nearby Words

mysteries
mysterious
mysteriousness
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Cite this Entry

“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mysterious. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of mysterious for Spanish Speakers

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