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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 Hinting at a mysterious event, three Secret bags — in maxi, regular and mini — were casually left in the grand space, furnished with pieces from some of the 20th century’s great designers. — Katie Abel, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026 In present-day 1995, the fictional FBI agent Joanne Miller (Shailene Woodley) searches for the person responsible for mysterious explosions over the last 16 years. — Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026 Murray enlists Ted in a series of mysterious experiments that involve the young man sitting in a room and debating another student. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 The exhibition puts designer Pierre-Olivier Persin’s bust of the creature alongside the syringes, vials and other medical paraphernalia from the mysterious Substance kit that sets the movie’s nightmare in motion. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 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
  • Olivia Benson dropped a cryptic string of clues that sent Swifties into Easter egg hunt overdrive.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Though Room 71 sounds like something out of a sci-fi story, the cryptic name is simply a reference to the fact that 71% of the planet is covered by oceans.
    — Pier Nirandara, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of cryptic
Adjective
  • The diabolical is ambiguous and often frankly sexy; the ridiculous is not.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Others require deep intelligence—analyzing complex financial information, generating code from ambiguous requirements or weighing competing factors.
    — Nitin Gupta, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • Then come the enigmatic Moai of Easter Island and the luminous lagoons of French Polynesia.
    — Guy Bigiaoui, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026
  • What begins as an intimate portrait of an enigmatic felon becomes a mind-bending three-year journey into the abyss.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • For serious gear collectors tired of pocket clutter and dark backpack voids, this clever mobile workstation is a genuinely smart, highly functional evolution.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Nothing hits quite like a pair of $39 Levi’s jeans, and this perfectly stretchy, dark-wash option is just what the doctor ordered.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • Rumi is also the name of a very famous 13th-century Persian poet and mystic.
    — Sarah Scott, Parents, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The mystic whine of Christine Ott and Mathieu Gabry’s score carries us into a hidden world of ancient Thai deities living inside the mountain’s caves and tunnels.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of mystic
Adjective
  • In simpler terms, his company produces the plumbing for the plumbing, the obscure pieces of the data center.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The film, while centering Iran’s current political and social crises, also brings to light obscure aspects, moments, and corners of Iranian history, public and private, which Bakhshi and Najdi discuss in great detail.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • Phoebe Bridgers, in her first film role, pulls off an uncanny transformation as a decoy who bends lines of age and gender.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • One of Mahomes’ many uncanny traits is that this traction and momentum will only feed off itself.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of uncanny
Adjective
  • Like other Vionic shoes, these have a deep heel cup to stabilize the foot and ankle.
    — Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Such abandonment wounds are deep and destabilizing; the younger the child, the deeper the wound and the harder to form a sense of self and of value as an adult.
    — Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 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 1 Oct. 2026.

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