Definitions

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.

And somewhere north of Richmond, Va., were those mysterious other people called Yankees—very unlike us God-fearing and patriotic Southerners, but Americans all the same.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026

Smith argued that “sometimes God works in mysterious ways.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026

The puppet depicts Paine as a skeleton because Fitzgerald - AKA graphic artist Polyp - was moved by the mysterious story of the disappearance of Paine's exhumed bones after his death.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

A long-running debate about a mysterious crater hidden beneath the North Sea has finally been settled.

From Science Daily • Jun. 30, 2026

In fact, it can be something dangerously mysterious: a carnival of chaos, a mirage of make-believe, a resplendent reverie.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

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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