mysterious

adjective

mys·​te·​ri·​ous mi-ˈstir-ē-əs How to pronounce mysterious (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ku Bar Best described by locals as both comforting and mysterious. Jenn Rice, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024 Ashworth, 92, grew up in poverty, mostly in South Austin and East Austin during the 1930s and '40s, after his mysterious father abandoned the family. Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024 The film is Paolo Sorrentino’s love letter to Naples — his second, following 2021’s The Hand of God — and Parthenope, a mysterious, irresistible beauty, is the stand-in for the enigmatic pull the city has over him. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024 Some of the rooms Coster investigates in Season 1 are truly horrifying, categorized by unwashed clothes and sheets and mysterious liquids. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mysterious 

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of mysterious was in 1578

Dictionary Entries Near mysterious

Cite this Entry

“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mysterious. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

mysterious

adjective
mys·​te·​ri·​ous mis-ˈtir-ē-əs How to pronounce mysterious (audio)
: containing, suggesting, or presenting a mystery
mysterious noises
also : difficult or impossible to understand
the mysterious ways of nature
mysteriously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on mysterious

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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