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
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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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mysterious
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 18 June 2025
Whether your vibe is a family-friendly walk or a wild caving crawl, these caves and caverns open the door to a mysterious world shaped over millions of years.
—Erin Gifford, USA Today, 18 June 2025
At first none of the murders seem to be related, yet these mysterious puzzle segments appear around the time of each crime.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Four thousand years ago, however, Crete was also a crossroads dominated by a mysterious and largely still poorly understood Bronze Age culture that predated classical Greece.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Adjective
Most of the gems were eventually recovered, with some mysterious exceptions.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 18 June 2025
Whether your vibe is a family-friendly walk or a wild caving crawl, these caves and caverns open the door to a mysterious world shaped over millions of years.
—Erin Gifford, USA Today, 18 June 2025
At first none of the murders seem to be related, yet these mysterious puzzle segments appear around the time of each crime.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Four thousand years ago, however, Crete was also a crossroads dominated by a mysterious and largely still poorly understood Bronze Age culture that predated classical Greece.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mysterious
Adjective
-
Gad teased work on the project in 2024 with a cryptic Instagram post that blocked out certain sections on the script’s cover page.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2025
-
This Instagram comment comes amid a series of cryptic social media posts shared by Bieber and growing concerns for him.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
The inconsistency of the geographical settings goes hand in hand with the how their American protagonists are depicted as inept operators whose heroism is ambiguous Soon after his arrival in Saigon, Andrews mistakes an advertisement for a dubious massage parlor as a clue from a local contact.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
18 June 2025
-
That’s negativity bias in action—the cognitive reflex to prioritize potential threats over neutral or positive cues, especially when the situation is ambiguous.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
With a multigenerational workforce and increasingly younger workforce seeking transparency, consider creating cultures where ambiguity is discussed openly, not masked with false certainty.—
Arthi Rabikrisson,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
-
Lynch opened up a whole new space where ambiguity wasn’t just tolerated — it was embraced.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
This deeply personal documentary dives into the legacy of Counting Crows and their enigmatic lead singer Adam Duritz, not as a nostalgia play, but as a raw and revealing look at identity, artistry, and the fine line between performance and reality.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
16 June 2025
-
Her enigmatic portraiture graces the collections of billionaire businessman François Pinault and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Named for the distinctive dark stripes running across the back of its head, this medium-sized goose is specially adapted for one of the most extreme migrations in the animal kingdom.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
-
White, pale blue, gray, and green swimsuits can be some of the hardest swimsuits to spot in a pool, while darker colors, like navy and black, can be difficult to detect in open water.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
This was a period during which the red planet seemed to be ready to give up some of its mystery.—
Matthew Shindell,
The Conversation,
6 June 2025
-
The mysteries of Césaire’s work and life have been an open question of Martiniquan, French, and wider Caribbean history.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
This book contains the first English translation of the writings of af Klint, a Swedish painter and mystic.—
Melissa Febos,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2025
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The author also varies the texture of the book by inserting poems, quotations, dramatic dialogue, a veiled account of her unhappy days at boarding school, and a lengthy digression on the German mystic Friederike Hauffe, who claimed to be clairvoyant and to communicate with spirits.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
This obscure law vested NOAA with the authority to issue permits for mining beyond American jurisdiction until an international regime was put in place.—
Time,
Time,
17 June 2025
-
That Davis exhibited but ultimately painted over the other two works in his geometric series might suggest some dissatisfaction with their admittedly obscure nature.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mysterious. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.
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