Synonyms of mysterious
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 …—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.
After a dance team audition goes terribly wrong, a group of girls at a Catholic high school start experiencing mysterious visions. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026 Specifically, the docuseries is about a mysterious death in Thailand (that has nothing whatsoever to do with Clavicular). — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026 Hawthorne, who had two daughters and a son, captures how children can seem to their parents like mysterious little people beyond their control. — Robert S. Levine, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026 Paintings of urban dining were commonplace among the Ashcan portfolios of John Sloan and Robert Henri, the latter whose mysterious nocturnes of outdoor night cafés seem particularly relevant. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mysterious. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

mysterious

adjective
: containing, suggesting, or presenting a mystery
mysterious noises
also : difficult or impossible to understand
the mysterious ways of nature
mysteriously adverb
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