Pronunciation

/ˌmɪstəˈriəs/

Definitions

• Adjective: Impenetrably secret or obscure; hard to understand or explain. It often describes something that has a sense of intrigue or unknown quality about it.

  • Example Sentence: The old mansion had a mysterious air about it, with its overgrown gardens and boarded-up windows.

• Noun (Derived Form): Something that is mysterious; a mystery. This usage is less common than the adjective form.

  • Example Sentence: The unsolved crime remained a mysterious enigma for decades.

Phrases

• “Mysterious ways”: Refers to the unpredictable or inexplicable methods by which things happen, especially when attributed to divine intervention.

  • Example Sentence: She believed that fate worked in mysterious ways.

• “The mysterious stranger”: A trope in literature referring to an unfamiliar character who arrives unexpectedly and whose intentions or backstory are initially unclear.

  • Example Sentence: The arrival of the mysterious stranger turned the peaceful village upside down.

Example Sentences

• Adjective: There’s something mysterious about the unopened letter left on the doorstep.
• Noun (Derived Form): The mysterious entity lurking in the forest sparked fear among the villagers.

Synonyms

• Enigmatic
• Cryptic
• Puzzling
• Intriguing
• Obscure
• Unexplained
• Mysteriousness
• Uncanny
• Esoteric
• Perplexing