MYSTERIOUS Synonyms: 143 Similar and Opposite Words

mysterious

adjective

mi-ˈstir-ē-əs

Definition of mysterious

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Its central plot remains conventional, and its demonology — including a hokey expansion involving the mysterious Cult of the Wise Men — routinely functions more as a set piece than as a serious mystery. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 July 2026 The anime movies took a somewhat mysterious route with the nature of artificial intelligence, whereas Stand Alone Complex treated that as part of the background and kept all the politics and intrigue pretty dry and analytical. — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 8 July 2026 It is characterized by a romanticization of traditional elite academia, references to classic literature, and a mysterious atmosphere. — Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mysterious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mysterious

Adjective

It was filled with brackets and parentheticals, written in different fonts and colors, much of it in capital letters, at once detailed and cryptic.

— Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
His doctors speculated his infection might have been a rare case of cryptic transmission from sharing meals and bathrooms with his coworkers, one of whom apparently had a tapeworm infection.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026

Definition of cryptic

Adjective

As for the ambiguous finale, Hall and Bravo have similar, but slightly different views on it.

— Reshma Gopaldas, IndieWire, 9 July 2026
Much of what couples experience as conflict is, on closer inspection, a disagreement about which interpretation of an ambiguous event is the correct one, and that disagreement is rarely settled by appeals to trust.

— Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of ambiguous

Adjective

The admittedly shy Belgian-Italian fashion designer Anthony Vaccarello entered the house of Saint Laurent as an enigmatic underdog.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026
Many aspects of the physics underlying GRBs remain enigmatic—but Rubin’s potential for discovering entirely new types of transients could soon offer astronomers a wealth of additional cosmic mysteries to solve.

— Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 1 July 2026

Definition of enigmatic

Adjective

As its name suggests, the product is formulated with skin care superstar retinol to smooth fine lines and crow’s feet and brighten dark circles.

— Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 7 July 2026
El Floridita and Sloppy Joe’s, tourist destinations made famous by American novelist Ernest Hemingway, sat dark and shuttered.

— Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Definition of dark

Adjective

His guru, Ramakrishna, was a 19th-century mystic and spiritual teacher in Bengal whose teachings on the unity underlying all religions shaped the worldview Vivekananda would go on to spread globally.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 July 2026
In Mozart’s opera, Tamino, a prince in a fairyland of mystic temples and mystifying gods, relies on his supernatural flute that turn sorrow into joy to get him out of jams.

— Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026

Definition of mystic

Adjective

Intentionally vague and obscure, the Daodejing would go on to inspire various interpretations ranging from philosophical reflections to how to realize the Dao in everyday practice.

— Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
The end of legal slavery in New York should not be an obscure historical fact.

— Tunisia Morrison, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026

Definition of obscure

Adjective

Mpasi, after almost 90 minutes of uncanny reflexes keeping England out, did not move a muscle.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 1 July 2026
The 6-foot-11 Condon rebounds relentlessly, protects the rim, delivers uncanny passes and makes winning plays, none bigger than his hustle to secure Florida’s comeback victory against Houston in the 2025 national championship game.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2026

Definition of uncanny

Adjective

Schmitt brought in an insurance run in the eighth, batting in Arraez with a sharp double to deep left-center.

— Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 10 July 2026
Fans of Brazil, Colombia and Portugal also were crushed that their teams, expected to make deep runs, crashed out so early.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026

Definition of deep

Browse Nearby Words

mysteries

mysterious

mysteriousness

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“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mysterious. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of mysterious

adjective

Example Sentences

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