mysterious

[mi-steer-ee-uhs] / mɪˈstɪər i əs /

ADJECTIVE

obscure, puzzing, suggesting a mystery

Synonyms

STRONGEST

baffling cryptic curious dark enigmatic inexplicable inscrutable magical mystical mystifying obscure perplexing puzzling secretive strange unknown weird

WEAK

abstruse alchemistic arcane astrological cabalistic covert difficult eldritch enigmatical equivocal esoteric furtive hidden impenetrable incomprehensible insoluble necromantic occult oracular recondite sphinxlike spiritual subjective symbolic transcendental uncanny unfathomable unknowable unnatural veiled

Antonyms

STRONGEST

apparent bright clear comprehendible comprehensible evident familiar intelligible known normal obvious plain regular usual visible

WEAK

public straightforward tangible unmysterious

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

His 2011 album, “Smoke Ring for My Halo,” brought him a wider audience, and at this point his music was slightly mysterious, his voice heavily treated with reverb.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

A farmer, his son, and his son’s mule, Belle, saved by a mysterious stranger.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

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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