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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 Benoist plays Valerie Simpson, a former tennis star launching a comeback five years after a tragic, mysterious breakdown on center court. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 23 July 2026 Still, more pressing concerns both on the mysterious M-Class planet and about the Enterprise overwhelm these interpersonal issues for most of the episode. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 July 2026 That’s what makes Goodman’s season so mysterious, and potentially so significant as the deadline approaches. — Sam Blum, New York Times, 22 July 2026 Recently granted permission to test the mysterious statue, held in Abruzzo’s National Archaeology Museum in Chieti, central Italy, may have the answers, reports the Times of London. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 21 July 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
  • Lana Del Rey shared a rare and rather cryptic message to her fans.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 16 July 2026
  • When Branch wiped her Instagram profile and began posting cryptic photos using lyrics from The Spirit Room, everyone freaked out.
    — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
Definition of cryptic
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, who qualifies for the Robinhood Platinum Card is a little ambiguous.
    — Ryley Amond, CNBC, 23 July 2026
  • Many leaders in the late 18th century already considered privateering a morally ambiguous practice, according to Michael Crawford, a former senior historian at the Naval History and Heritage Command.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2026
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • The enigmatic, unique Haaland returns to Manchester City in the Premier League under a new manager in a new era, with Enzo Maresca taking over from Pep Guardiola, who managed the team for 10 years and won six Premier League titles.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • The Hunt for Gollum is a standalone feature centered on the enigmatic titular character, portrayed by Serkis in Jackson’s Oscar-winning film trilogy.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • Skywatchers should find dark locations and look north, as the aurora's intensity also hinges on the solar wind's magnetic field orientation.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • And in a dark time for the world, a magnificent tournament helped make the world feel a little smaller.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • Unlike in Cutud, participants are mostly female faith healers adhering not to vows but to mystic trances and possession.
    — H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 10 July 2026
  • Whether Spatial surrounds its reggae-toasting host with piles of drums, disorienting electronic beats, or locomotive rock music, Scratch abides as crooner, barker, mystic, meditation coach — whatever the moment requires.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 July 2026
Definition of mystic
Adjective
  • Maybe folks were turning to Spotify to confirm that the Swag II was, in fact, part of Bieber’s discography and not some obscure Christian rock track.
    — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2026
  • Their books are weird and beautifully eccentric, and often highlight obscure and experimental writers from the 18th and 19th century.
    — Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • Those digital Mellotrons balanced against Wilson’s dry 2000s alt-rock production cast Åkerfeldt’s ballads into a searching, uncanny drift at the outskirts of the metal landscape.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 19 July 2026
  • In World Cup lore, however, his gallantry is doomed to be overshadowed by that of his fellow-goalkeeper from Cabo Verde, Vozinha, who had already produced an uncanny impersonation of a brick wall on the fourth day of the tournament.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
Definition of uncanny
Adjective
  • Both areas have deep sediment soil that sit atop alluvial valleys.
    — Syra Ortiz-Blanes, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • Even a deep black pencil can feel softer and more natural because the pigment doesn’t sit as sharply on top of the skin.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 24 July 2026
Definition of deep

Browse Nearby Words

mysteries
mysterious
mysteriousness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mysterious. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on mysterious

Nglish: Translation of mysterious for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All