1
as in cryptic
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
the huge stone statues on Easter Island are ancient, mysterious, and haunting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the stranger's mysterious prediction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of mysterious
The identity of the director is somewhat mysterious but is listed as ‘Bunny-Man’.
—
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 23 July 2025
Little Shop of Horrors follows Seymour, a shy floral assistant who discovers a mysterious, man-eating plant that promises fame and fortune — at a deadly cost.
—Dave Quinn, People.com, 23 July 2025
Few died, so the mysterious ailment was concerning but not alarming.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 22 July 2025
Scientists will use this data to study dark matter and dark energy, which make up most of the universe but remain mysterious.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 23 July 2025
Little Shop of Horrors follows Seymour, a shy floral assistant who discovers a mysterious, man-eating plant that promises fame and fortune — at a deadly cost.
—Dave Quinn, People.com, 23 July 2025
Few died, so the mysterious ailment was concerning but not alarming.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 22 July 2025
Scientists will use this data to study dark matter and dark energy, which make up most of the universe but remain mysterious.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mysterious
Adjective
-
Whether the pair will do more to promote the album than share cryptic corresponding Instagram posts remains to be seen.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
25 July 2025
-
Young engineers face a steep learning curve with cryptic interfaces and minimal documentation.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
Automate routine monitoring, but require cross-functional review for ambiguous or high-impact alerts, providing clear explanations.—
Dr. Chiranjiv Roy,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
-
At times, though, there’s nothing ambiguous or veiled in his work.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
This enigmatic character used his power to control the time-stream in a post-Crisis on Infinite Earths scenario to create a smaller universe with only two populated planets: our Earth and Krypton.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
17 July 2025
-
Other notable cast members include John Lithgow as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore; Paapa Essiedu as enigmatic potions professor Severus Snape; and Lox Pratt as Hogwarts bully Draco Malfoy.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
Transformed into a swan by the evil sorcerer Rothbart, Odette and Siegfried's love faces an impossible battle against dark forces.—
Maggie Menderski,
The Courier-Journal,
22 July 2025
-
Number two, male, white, tall, gray hair, dark eyes.—
Danielle Bacher,
People.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
The man from Osaka’s right arm is almost mystic, like one of California’s solemn redwoods.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 July 2025
-
Further projects include psychological thriller The Olive Press, set in the mystic world of the Druze community in Mount Lebanon, from writer and director Samah El Kadi, and co-written by Nadim Chammas.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
In order to produce so many shows, Marvel had to mine the depths of its archives which led to productions based on obscure characters that many fans didn't care about.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
Provider tax The bill includes a rather obscure change that could cost the state millions of dollars and, in turn, a reduction in services.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
There is also a slightly uncanny aspect to FedEx that felt fitting.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
20 July 2025
-
Not so long ago in a living room not too far away, an uncanny replica of K-2SO stands at seven-feet tall in front of Ermer Twano’s television set.—
Olivia Petty,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 July 2025
Adjective
-
What if this moment reveals something deeper than two people’s poor judgment?—
Margie Warrell,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
Bullying is often a symptom of something deeper, like insecurity, anxiety, trauma, or difficulty regulating emotions, says Shaw.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mysterious. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share