Synonyms of mystery

mystery

noun

ˈmi-st(ə-)rē 

as in enigma

something hard to understand or explain

why my sister married that guy is still a mystery to my parents

Synonyms & Similar Words

• enigma
• puzzle
• riddle
• secret
• problem
• conundrum
• matter
• challenge
• why
• mystification
• puzzlement
• closed book
• head-scratcher
• perplexity
• case
• trouble
• poser
• brainteaser
• stumper
• knot

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun mystery differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mystery are enigma, problem, puzzle, and riddle. While all these words mean "something which baffles or perplexes," mystery applies to what cannot be fully understood by reason or less strictly to whatever resists or defies explanation.

the mystery of the stone monoliths

Where would enigma be a reasonable alternative to mystery?

While the synonyms enigma and mystery are close in meaning, enigma applies to utterance or behavior that is very difficult to interpret.

his suicide remains an enigma

When might problem be a better fit than mystery?

The words problem and mystery can be used in similar contexts, but problem applies to a question or difficulty calling for a solution or causing concern.

problems created by high technology

When is puzzle a more appropriate choice than mystery?

The synonyms puzzle and mystery are sometimes interchangeable, but puzzle applies to an enigma or problem that challenges ingenuity for its solution.

the thief's motives were a puzzle for the police

When is it sensible to use riddle instead of mystery?

Although the words riddle and mystery have much in common, riddle suggests an enigma or problem involving paradox or apparent contradiction.

the riddle of the reclusive pop star

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of mystery

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Atlanta office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are asking the public for help solving a nearly 20-year-old cold case mystery. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Not always very precisely balanced between horror, homage and mystery, this intriguing if unevenly realized construct will nonetheless lure genre fans and nostalgists alike with its imagined back chapter of golden-age Hollywood. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 July 2026

As fate would have it, that mystery was waiting for me offshore the very next morning. — Josh Blaylock, USA Today, 31 July 2026

Now the director trades free-floating dread for political intrigue in ‘The Samurai and the Prisoner,’ a feudal-era murder mystery about power, responsibility and self-knowledge. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026