Synonyms of mysterious

mysterious

adjective

mi-ˈstir-ē-əs 

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

• cryptic
• enigmatic
• mystic
• uncanny
• obscure
• dark
• deep
• unexplainable
• inscrutable
• murky
• ambiguous
• mystical
• vague
• occult
• arcane
• impenetrable
• confusing
• shadowy
• esoteric
• metaphysical
• fuzzy
• supernatural
• inexplicable
• incomprehensible
• unfathomable
• unintelligible
• darkling
• unaccountable
• unknowable
• imponderable
• puzzling
• unanswerable
• equivocal
• perplexing
• unsearchable
• baffling
• numinous
• confounding
• recondite
• abstruse
• mystifying
• bewildering
• disorienting
• befuddling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• understandable
• intelligible
• obvious
• apparent
• unmistakable
• clear
• evident
• plain
• manifest
• transparent
• fathomable
• unequivocal
• unambiguous
• straightforward
• palpable
• perspicuous
• open-and-shut
• patent

2

as in ambiguous

having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning

the stranger's mysterious prediction

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ambiguous
• cryptic
• enigmatic
• dark
• obscure
• mystic
• esoteric
• murky
• vague
• unclear
• inscrutable
• questionable
• opaque
• nebulous
• occult
• uncertain
• arcane
• deep
• equivocal
• Delphic
• confusing
• elliptical
• weird
• eerie
• complicated
• fuliginous
• shadowy
• uncanny
• obscurant
• inexplicable
• double-edged
• recondite
• abstruse
• fuzzy
• incomprehensible
• indistinct
• faint
• puzzling
• hazy
• shrouded
• disguised
• indirect
• difficult
• misty
• invisible
• masked
• cloaked
• foggy
• undefined
• complex
• undetermined
• perplexing
• concealed
• baffling
• unknowable
• indecipherable
• indefinite
• intangible
• muddy
• clouded
• dim
• shaded
• mystifying
• indistinguishable
• bewildering
• unanswerable
• inexact
• cloudy
• noncommittal
• impenetrable
• confounding
• sphinxlike
• unfathomable
• impalpable
• inappreciable
• inexplicit
• shadowlike
• obfuscatory
• circuitous
• obtuse
• befogged
• roundabout
• bedimmed
• beclouded
• obnubilated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• obvious
• clear
• certain
• plain
• distinct
• accessible
• unequivocal
• unambiguous
• understandable
• evident
• intelligible
• comprehensible
• bright
• strong
• sure
• legible
• knowable
• direct
• nonambiguous
• firm
• exact
• definite
• defined
• explicit
• determined
• fathomable
• straightforward
• visible
• tangible
• pellucid
• self-evident
• self-explanatory
• appreciable
• unmistakable
• palpable
• blatant
• patent

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of mysterious

Its central plot remains conventional, and its demonology — including a hokey expansion involving the mysterious Cult of the Wise Men — routinely functions more as a set piece than as a serious mystery. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 July 2026

The anime movies took a somewhat mysterious route with the nature of artificial intelligence, whereas Stand Alone Complex treated that as part of the background and kept all the politics and intrigue pretty dry and analytical. — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 8 July 2026

It is characterized by a romanticization of traditional elite academia, references to classic literature, and a mysterious atmosphere. — Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026