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.
Or is it simply about “trauma and the mysterious workings of the unconscious,” as New York Times critic Beatrice Loayza says?
From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026
Last summer, a NASA-funded asteroid impact warning system detected a mysterious object speeding through the solar system.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Against the backdrop of these frequent price fluctuations, speculation continues about the true identity of Bitcoin's mysterious inventor known only as Satoshi Nakamoto.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
Beyond helping explain mysterious radio signals, the system also offers scientists a rare opportunity to study extreme physical conditions that cannot be recreated in laboratories on Earth.
From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026
Even better, the tale included pretty young women, a mysterious murder, and the possibility of scandal—all elements that the reading public couldn’t resist.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
