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 The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is investigating the mysterious appearance of the turtles. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026 Peter seems to be the only one who is immune, which is why DODC chief Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman) seeks his help in capturing the mysterious being. — ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2026 Bret is immediately skeptical of Robert and his mysterious past, and the two develop an unsettling dynamic. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026 Fans believe Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper are married after new details emerged about the Silver Linings Playbook actor’s mysterious ring. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 4 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
  • Just below, the most ambiguous passage of the work refuses legibility altogether, blending the whites and grays of the child’s shirt with the tones of her fingers and the blue fabric of the chair behind them.
    — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
  • This is particularly true for limited series — or any series with ambiguous renewals.
    — Whitney Friedlander, Variety, 6 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
  • Massive walk-in bathroom with a rainfall shower and a deep bathtub.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Iván Herrera followed with an RBI double off of a Warren sinker, also to deep center field.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 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 14 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of mysterious for Spanish Speakers

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