mysteriously
Americanadverb
Explanation
If something occurs in a strange or eerie way, you can say it happens mysteriously. Your little brother might mysteriously disappear every time the dog needs to be walked, for example. When something can't be easily explained, it happens mysteriously. Some people say that boats mysteriously disappear in a region of the Atlantic Ocean known as the Bermuda Triangle, and others tell stories of sick people being mysteriously healed by prayer. At the heart of mysteriously is the noun mystery, which had only a religious meaning until the late fourteenth century, and which is rooted in the the Greek word mysterion, "secret rite or doctrine."
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.
The Rolling Stones have mysteriously released a new limited edition single on vinyl only, under the band name The Cockroaches, further fueling speculation the British rockers are poised to drop a 25th studio album.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
More recently, the category has been bolstered by initial public offerings of foreign-domiciled companies that have mysteriously surged, luring retail investors before they plunge.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
And yet I remained, daily, mysteriously incapable of doing so.
From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026
It was meant to become a thriving community of 10,000 people, and even the then Prince Charles visited to check on progress - but the site was mysteriously abandoned more than a decade ago.
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026
Whenever he turned a page, robotic sounds mysteriously accompanied his movement.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
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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.