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
Relevance
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
1
as in ambiguity
the quality or state of being impossible to know, understand, or explain
the mysteriousness of the nocturnal noises evaporated with the arrival of daybreak
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguousness
the quality or state of having a veiled or uncertain meaning
the unexpected mysteriousness of the phone message had them a little concerned
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
Claire Franken, TVLine, 14 May 2025
All of your favorite characters are back, of course (minus the late, great Ilsa Faust, the most favorite of them all), but they’re forced to scramble into different factions after the Entity spurns Gabriel (Esai Morales), the mysterious killer who was harnessing its power.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 May 2025
That includes the appearance of a brand new character, Lewis Pullman's mysterious Bob, a.k.a.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 2 May 2025
Purple honey is a rare honey that has a purple color and a mysterious origin.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Adjective
The eight-episode Season 4 centers on Benedict (played by Luke Thompson), the bohemian second son in the Bridgerton family, and a mysterious Lady in Silver (Halo’s Yerin Ha).
—Claire Franken, TVLine, 14 May 2025
All of your favorite characters are back, of course (minus the late, great Ilsa Faust, the most favorite of them all), but they’re forced to scramble into different factions after the Entity spurns Gabriel (Esai Morales), the mysterious killer who was harnessing its power.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 May 2025
That includes the appearance of a brand new character, Lewis Pullman's mysterious Bob, a.k.a.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 2 May 2025
Purple honey is a rare honey that has a purple color and a mysterious origin.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mysterious
Adjective
-
Neither Henry nor Devers have been willing to detail that conversation until now, as Devers finally broke his silence on the discussion with a cryptic four-word message.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 May 2025
-
Still, his message ended on a cheerful note that showed the musician seems to be taking the cryptic dismissal in stride.—
Glenn Rowley,
Billboard,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
While critical thinking is invaluable, the tendency to fixate on ambiguous data points—many of which pertain to uncontrollable external factors—can lead to unnecessary stress.—
Davide Sartini,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
-
The two were previously involved in a morally ambiguous mission gone wrong, which led to Vincent murdering an undercover cop.—
Skyler Trepel,
People.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Jurisdictional role ambiguity adds another layer of complexity.—
Khurram Akhtar,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
-
Critics say ambiguities in the law are part of the problem George Wyeth, a visiting scholar at the Environmental Law Institute, says the law is still concerning.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
The film features our beloved returning team members (Luther, Benji, and Ilsa) as well as new faces like the enigmatic thief Grace (Hayley Atwell); Gabriel (Esai Morales), an assassin who knew Ethan in his pre-IMF life; and Denlinger (Cary Elwes), the Director of National Intelligence.—
Will Harris,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
-
The Chicago producer has frequently expressed his disdain for the enigmatic rapper ever since he was left off of the recent LP while Kendrick Lamar got three separate features.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
The videos look just like the photos, with unnatural colors and visible noise, especially in dark environments.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
22 May 2025
-
Blast off at Baltimore's science fiction convention, see natural beauty envisioned by artists from around the world, take a stroll after dark at the zoo, celebrate Baltimore creatives or go to a legendary concert.—
John Coffren,
Baltimore Sun,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
Ray is an enigma and a mystery, a man who zips into town on a motorbike like a phantom and could just as easily evaporate at any minute.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
18 May 2025
-
Joseph Vacher was executed via guillotine after he was found guilty of murder, but the true number of his victims remains a mystery Few know the name Joseph Vacher — even though his crimes surpassed those of the world’s most infamous serial killers.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
Among employees, he had been known as a deep thinker and even something of a mystic, regularly speaking in spiritual terms.—
Karen Hao,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2025
-
Lag BaOmer celebrates the anniversary of the passing of the great sage and mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.—
Rabbi Moishe Kievman,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
There are some opaque methods for opening car tailgates, but Smart’s must be one of the most obscure.—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
-
That brings us to Biden’s cancer, a diagnosis that surely cast a pall over the various book tours and panel discussions on what the Bidens and their handlers did or did not obscure.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mysterious. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share