Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for mysterious

mysterious

[ mi-steer-ee-uhs ]

adjective

  1. full of, characterized by, or involving mystery:

    a mysterious occurrence.

    Synonyms: cryptic, occult, esoteric, secret

  2. implying or suggesting a mystery:

    a mysterious smile.

  3. of obscure nature, meaning, origin, etc.; puzzling; inexplicable:

    a mysterious inscription on the ancient tomb.

    Synonyms: impenetrable, enigmatic, incomprehensible, unintelligible, unfathomable



mysterious

/ mɪˈstɪərɪəs /

adjective

  1. characterized by or indicative of mystery
  2. puzzling, curious, or enigmatic


Discover More

Derived Forms

  • mysˈteriously, adverb
  • mysˈteriousness, noun

Discover More

Other Words From

  • mys·teri·ous·ly adverb
  • mys·teri·ous·ness noun
  • quasi-mys·teri·ous adjective
  • quasi-mys·teri·ous·ly adverb
  • unmys·teri·ous adjective
  • unmys·teri·ous·ly adverb
  • unmys·teri·ous·ness noun

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of mysterious1

First recorded in 1610–20; mystery 1 + -ous

Discover More

Synonym Study

Mysterious, inscrutable, mystical, obscure refer to that which is not easily comprehended or explained. That which is mysterious, by being unknown or puzzling, excites curiosity, amazement, or awe: a mysterious disease. Inscrutable applies to that which is impenetrable, so enigmatic that one cannot interpret its significance: an inscrutable smile. That which is mystical has a secret significance, such as that attaching to certain rites or signs: mystical symbols. That which is obscure is discovered or comprehended dimly or with difficulty: obscure motives.

Discover More

Example Sentences

“Vicious pecking, avian hysteria, mysterious deaths, and even cannibalism” are the results, he writes.

Perhaps the mysterious Martian methane, and its strange fluctuations, are part of that story.

That reactivity paradoxically is what makes its sudden coming and going mysterious.

Part of that was due to the elimination of the Mysterious Man.

Like Fosse did with Cabaret, Marshall excised two major characters: the Narrator and the Mysterious Man.

The explanation of his mysterious earlier moods offered itself with a clarity that was ghastly.

Lawrence handed the General the mysterious message and Schofield read it with a darkened brow.

This short interval had more than sufficed for De Lucenay's mysterious operations.

After all she, Hilda, possessed some mysterious characteristic more potent than the elegance and the goodness of Janet Orgreave.

Between each group of figures the face of the rock was scored with mysterious signs and rudely limned weapons of war and chase.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


mystagoguemystery