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 Patrick joins the psychological thriller as the voice of the mysterious Commanding Officer, alongside Omar Moustafa Ghonim and Sheree Abate. — Mya Copeland, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026 After virtually strolling through City in Belmira’s video model, some of its mysterious puzzle pieces do, gratifyingly, start to come together. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 13 Aug. 2026 But many granular details of this process of stellar destruction and creation remain mysterious. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026 Like the book, there’s a fateful meeting with the mysterious Robert Mallory at a movie theater in Westwood. — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 12 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
  • Osbourne’s recent cryptic posts follow a TMZ report suggesting that DJ and keyboardist Wilson had been removed from Slipknot after 28 years with the group.
    — Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Kelly Osbourne shared cryptic posts amid rumors of her split with Sid Wilson.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of cryptic
Adjective
  • But that was ambiguous enough for some overeager follow-up reports to mistake the book for the kill-and-tell that many had always assumed Finke would eventually write.
    — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Worse than that, real-world sensor data is often so ambiguous, incomplete, and riddled with noise that the only way to describe it is borderline chaotic.
    — David Szondy August 11, New Atlas, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • However, when the invite couple living upstairs from them — Hawk (Norton) and Piña (Cruz) — to dinner, the night takes a stranger turn with enigmatic couple than Joe and Angela expected.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • At its center is Babe Bunyan, a towering, enigmatic axman whose search for identity and belonging drives the story toward an explosive conclusion.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • In Helaena’s room, Rhaenyra finds a tapestry Helaena had just finished sewing that predicts a dark and fiery end for Rhaenyra in the future.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
  • For somewhere closer to home, check a light pollution map and head to an area that looks dark.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 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
  • Beyond those circles, though, the English-language broadcaster that serves as Taiwan’s main international messaging outlet remains relatively obscure.
    — Ilan Berman, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • On the Japanese side of the intervention, Tokyo also refrained from selling Treasuries and instead tapped an obscure Federal Reserve tool called the Foreign and International Monetary Authorities Repo Facility.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • An uncanny coincidence Unusually hot weather in Europe is the root cause of the biological problem.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The only thing consistent about the WNBA is its uncanny ability to get in its own way.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncanny
Adjective
  • Many of his supporters harbor deep frustration and anger at the American for-profit healthcare system.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Not to be cheated in front of the largest assembly of Hall of Famers since the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, Schwarber flew out twice to deep center field.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 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 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of mysterious for Spanish Speakers

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