mysterious

[ mi-steer-ee-uhs ]

/ mɪˈstɪər i əs /

adjective

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.

Origin of mysterious

First recorded in 1610–20; mystery¹ + -ous

SYNONYMS FOR mysterious

1. secret, esoteric, occult, cryptic. 3. unfathomable, unintelligible, incomprehensible, enigmatic, impenetrable.

Related forms

mys·te·ri·ous·ly, adverbmys·te·ri·ous·ness, nounqua·si-mys·te·ri·ous, adjectivequa·si-mys·te·ri·ous·ly, adverb

un·mys·te·ri·ous, adjectiveun·mys·te·ri·ous·ly, adverbun·mys·te·ri·ous·ness, noun

Synonym study

1. 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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mysteriously

Exactly one month after the first straw goat was erected in Gävle, it was mysteriously burned to a crisp.
Sweden’s Burning Christmas Goat|Nina Strochlic|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Last year, the Home Office said the dossier had mysteriously disappeared from the archives.
Victim: I Watched British MPs Rape and Murder Young Boys|Nico Hines|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many of the quotes are mysteriously sourced, apocryphal, or misattributed.
Russell Brand’s Revolution For Morons|Michael Moynihan|November 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
However, when the Red Army reached Königsberg in 1945, the Amber Room had mysteriously vanished.
The Biggest Art Heist of WWII is Still Unsolved||October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The first group of whom were mysteriously attacked behind Ukrainian lines near Olginka on August 5.
Ukrainian Troops Retreat From Russian Border, Leaving 100 Kilometers Open to Invasion|Pierre Vaux|August 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He always had "just been singing," but had mysteriously stopped.
Little Brothers of the Air|Olive Thorne Miller
He walked over to the messenger, handed him a folded paper, and the man disappeared as mysteriously as he came.
Lucia Rudini|Martha Trent
Stop and think how mysteriously he popped in on us, will you?
At Whispering Pine Lodge|Lawrence J. Leslie
When he handed it back to me, I was surprised to see that the incorrect number was mysteriously changed to the proper one.
Hours with the Ghosts or, Nineteenth Century Witchcraft|Henry Ridgely Evans
I wrote every one of the crowd or went to see them, but you had mysteriously disappeared.
Penny of Top Hill Trail|Belle Kanaris Maniates

British Dictionary definitions for mysteriously

mysterious

/ (mɪˈstɪərɪəs) /

adjective

characterized by or indicative of mystery

puzzling, curious, or enigmatic

Derived Formsmysteriously, adverbmysteriousness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for mysteriously

mysterious

adj.

1610s, "full of mystery," from Latin mysterium (see mystery (n.1)) + -ous. Related: Mysteriously; mysteriousness. Earlier in same sense was mysterial (early 15c.), from Late Latin mysterialis.

mysterious

adjective

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Nearby words

Origin of mysterious

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for mysteriously

mysterious

adjective

mysterious