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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 Then there are the Verdusco brothers (Matt Groove and JB Tadena), mysterious gangsters causing mayhem across the city. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026 So what was the meaning of this mysterious, ancient inscription? — Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Sep. 2026 The cases have brought to light a mysterious condition known as postpartum psychosis. — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 Residents of Mongbwalu, a small town in the northeastern part of the country, described entire families dying from a mysterious illness as early as January. — Stephanie Psaki, Foreign Affairs, 18 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
  • Seven months on, no one has been charged and, publicly at least, police seem no closer to solving what’s become one of Australia’s most cryptic missing-person cases.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Also at the 2026 Emmys, Roach shared cryptic comments about the marital status of his longtime client Zendaya and her partner, Tom Holland.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 15 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
  • In a deeply personal exhibition, the enigmatic French photographer Ilion Huit, who prefers to hide behind his Leica M6, unveiled to the world his most intimate interior musings in an exhibition at Icicle Cultural Space in Shanghai.
    — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2026
  • An enigmatic and alluring university professor (Moss) with a thing for younger men is among the local suspects, who begin to seem connected.
    — Jennie Punter, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • Beaches emptied out and dark clouds swirled above choppy seas, while Mexican authorities temporarily suspended classes in a number of areas on Tuesday.
    — DESIREE BROOKS, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Set against these dark parts of the educational system, Lee convincingly casts hagwons as third spaces that advance the hopes of an entire community.
    — Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • 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
  • Such questions, in fact, may not be the right ones to ask about the man variously described as a teacher, philosopher, maverick mystic, and enlightened person.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of mystic
Adjective
  • This includes sourcing suppliers for obscure or discontinued parts.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The Venezuelan government granted an obscure private oil company, North American Blue Energy Partners, concessions to develop those reserves.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • Their resemblance is uncanny; near carbon copies, some thirty years apart.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Images often associated with barbarism on screen, like beheading the dead to memorialize them, are approached with an uncanny gentleness.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 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 25 Sep. 2026.

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