mysterious

adjective

mys·​te·​ri·​ous mi-ˈstir-ē-əs 

1

a

: of, relating to, or constituting mystery

the mysterious ways of God

b

: exciting wonder, curiosity, or surprise while baffling efforts to comprehend or identify : mystifying

heard a mysterious noise

a mysterious stranger

a mysterious plane crash

a mysterious illness

2

: stirred by or attracted to the inexplicable

… to help a mysterious wizard … ward off the end of the world with blood sacrifices.

—Robert Houston

mysteriousness noun

Synonyms

• arcane
• cryptic
• deep
• enigmatic
• enigmatical
• impenetrable
• inscrutable
• mystic
• occult
• uncanny

Examples of mysterious in a Sentence

the mysterious ways of nature

We heard a mysterious noise outside our tent.

He died under mysterious circumstances.

A mysterious illness has been spreading through the city.

There's something mysterious about that old woman.

Her behavior was very mysterious.

Recent Examples on the Web

Because the stones making up different aspects of the mysterious structure were moved from many parts of the British Isles, there must have been a reason for it. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 28 Dec. 2024

Of particular interest for Parker is the mysterious heating of the sun's corona and the origins of the solar wind in the solar system. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024

George Washington's Mansion Dig Finds Preserved Bottled Fruits From 1700s By Aristos Georgiou Science and Health Reporter 2 Ancient Native Americans living in Florida made use of lethally toxic fish for mysterious purposes, a study reports. —David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024

In this telling, young Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) is dispatched to a remote castle to finalize the paperwork on a property purchase by the mysterious Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård). —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

mystery entry 1 + -ous, probably after Middle French mysterieux

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing mysterious

• be mysterious

Kids Definition

mysterious

adjective

mys·​te·​ri·​ous mis-ˈtir-ē-əs 

: containing, suggesting, or presenting a mystery

mysterious noises

also : difficult or impossible to understand

the mysterious ways of nature

mysteriously adverb