mysterious
Americanadjective
-
full of, characterized by, or involving mystery.
a mysterious occurrence.
-
implying or suggesting a mystery.
a mysterious smile.
-
of obscure nature, meaning, origin, etc.; puzzling; inexplicable.
a mysterious inscription on the ancient tomb.
- Synonyms:
- impenetrable, enigmatic, incomprehensible, unintelligible, unfathomable
adjective
-
characterized by or indicative of mystery
-
puzzling, curious, or enigmatic
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of mysterious
Explanation
Something that is mysterious has a secret-like quality that makes it hard to understand or define, like your mysterious answers that made your friends curious about what you were really up to. A dark shadow skims across the surface of lake...a strange disease makes a city's inhabitants violently ill...a large, hairy creature is spotted wandering in the woods. These situations are all mysterious because we don't know their causes. You can see the word mystery in mysterious. A mystery is a hidden or secret thing, so something that is mysterious takes effort to understand, unless it is beyond our comprehension.
Vocabulary lists containing mysterious
Purple Hibiscus
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It's All a Blur: Synonyms for "Unclear"
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Schooled
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 1538 Fray Marcos de Niza set out from Mexico City, the capital of New Spain, to investigate rumors that the Seven Cities lay somewhere in El Norte Misterioso, the Mysterious North.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
Mysterious things keep happening — music suddenly blasts, doors slam, the lights go out and the alarm system roars in the middle of the night.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025
Mysterious forces seek to quiet the talking animals of Oz, who preach freedom and unity.
From Salon • Nov. 19, 2024
This was on a recent Friday afternoon at the Mysterious Bookshop, a Manhattan emporium dedicated to thrillers, detective stories, spy stories and noir classics.
From New York Times • Nov. 27, 2023
Every night the moon made its slow passage over Stonetown, and every night Reynie Muldoon gazed up through the window of the drafty old house, remembering the moonlit meetings of the Mysterious Benedict Society.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
