mysterious
adjective
mys·te·ri·ous
mi-ˈstir-ē-əs 
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
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
The Naked Gun also stars Anderson as Beth Davenport, who teams with Frank to investigate billionaire tech guru Richard Caine (Danny Huston), who is the prime suspect in connection with the mysterious death of Beth’s brother.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Dano, meanwhile, is up to something much more mysterious and mannered, speaking in a gentle singsong that takes a little bit of getting used to.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2025
When a girl in Michigan and her new boyfriend start getting harassing texts from a mysterious stranger, what starts as a little scary becomes deeply weird when the true culprit is discovered.
—PC Magazine, 29 Aug. 2025
Elli’s been taken by a mysterious crime boss with a connection to her artwork.
—Shannon Carlin, Time, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
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Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Dano, meanwhile, is up to something much more mysterious and mannered, speaking in a gentle singsong that takes a little bit of getting used to.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2025
When a girl in Michigan and her new boyfriend start getting harassing texts from a mysterious stranger, what starts as a little scary becomes deeply weird when the true culprit is discovered.
—PC Magazine, 29 Aug. 2025
Elli’s been taken by a mysterious crime boss with a connection to her artwork.
—Shannon Carlin, Time, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Cite this Entry
“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mysterious. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mysterious
adjective
mys·te·ri·ous
mis-ˈtir-ē-əs
: 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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