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
  • Corsini and Massimo Vavassori’s script is needlessly cryptic at times, leaving the central figure too much of an abstraction.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026
  • Ella Rubin stars as Annie Jacobson, a high schooler who stumbles into a mystery when her grandfather dies and leaves her an island in Canada—along with a cryptic letter.
    — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 27 July 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
  • Homer, the enigmatic poet, still provokes and inspires us all.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Even with Peter lamenting the loss of his mentor Tony Stark, high-school high jinks keep the storytelling lighthearted, while Jake Gyllenhaal makes an over-the-top splash as enigmatic supervillain Mysterio.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 31 July 2026
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • Their traditional decor centers around darker fabrics and pale wall coverings.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Her doctor advised her to stop clinical hyperpigmentation treatments for her dark spots and uneven skin tone as some ingredients could be unsafe to use while trying to conceive or during pregnancy.
    — Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • 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
  • As an Asgardian warrior, Thor needs his weapons, so his figure also includes his magical hammer Mjolnir and his mystic ax, Stormbreaker.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 26 July 2026
Definition of mystic
Adjective
  • Some of the details are still obscure—no law requires OpenAI to explain itself—but the basic facts are well understood.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026
  • This confusion is a big reason why the once-obscure argument over the best inflation speedometer is heating up.
    — Brandy Hadley, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • In a new video, the 13-year-old royal drew an uncanny likeness to his grandmother—down to her mannerisms.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Medasin also used basic prompts to generate his own Treblo creations that bore uncanny similarities to the single.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 4 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

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mysterious
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Cite this Entry

“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mysterious. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of mysterious for Spanish Speakers

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