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 Hawthorne, who had two daughters and a son, captures how children can seem to their parents like mysterious little people beyond their control. — Robert S. Levine, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026 Paintings of urban dining were commonplace among the Ashcan portfolios of John Sloan and Robert Henri, the latter whose mysterious nocturnes of outdoor night cafés seem particularly relevant. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 Set in a small village from Sierra Morena, the story turns on a group of astrophysicists investigating mysterious flickering lights, until one of them-Sara starts to believe the light might be her deceased father trying to communicate. — Annika Pham, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026 In the film, Coon plays Rita Cooper, a Holocaust survivor who abandons her family to join up with a mysterious commune. — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mysterious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mysterious

Adjective

Then, on October 26, a member of Parliament—who happened to be the brother-in-law of one of the conspirators—received a cryptic, anonymous letter.

— Lucia Barnum, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Oct. 2026
The news arrives after a cryptic graphic teasing the tour was posted on Instagram, featuring imagery from The Great Divide.

— Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of cryptic

Adjective

Even your biggest hits have something of an enigmatic quality.

— Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Today, this Chilean territory is essentially an open-air archaeological museum, with many of its enigmatic moai (representations of Polynesian ancestors) returned to their upright positions following seven decades of restoration.

— Mark Johanson, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of enigmatic

Adjective

The ad is characteristic of the increasingly dark tone Hilton’s campaign has taken on in the home stretch.

— Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Netanyahu's supporters see him as a steady hand and a consummate statesman who has led Israel through a war of redemption after the country's darkest hour.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of dark

Adjective

What’s more, even without steering, the bots were prone to mystic ruminations.

— Sam Kestenbaum, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
Take The Night Veils, for example, which seeks to capture the spirit of the night through fragrances that can best be described as primal and mystic.

— Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of mystic

Adjective

But Sung, Bennett and Miller stayed his order, finding that the California deployment could go forward under an obscure and virtually untested subsection of the law.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
The area sits within the Lake Superior clay plain, where the surrounding soil is largely composed of clay, which can make the water murky and obscure objects beneath the surface.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of obscure

Adjective

Dowler-Guerrero said Raman had an uncanny ability to get people organized and always had an unwavering belief in her own ability to get things done.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
The suggestion is that the algorithms responsible for animating his uncanny likeness have also managed to bring him back from the dead, reassembling him piece by piece.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of uncanny

Adjective

Thunder general manager Sam Presti didn’t specify how long both will miss, but they are expected to miss months, at a minimum, putting their availability for any playoff run — especially a deep one — in serious doubt.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026
The formulation also contains the patented Cell-Ox Shield Technology, which combines sun protection with antioxidants for deeper skin protection.

— Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 29 Oct. 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 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of mysterious

adjective

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