mysterious

adjective

Saymi-STEER-ee-uhs/mɪˈstɪɹi.əs/UK/mɪˈstɪə̯.ɹi.əs/

4 meanings of mysterious

1
adjective
Having qualities that remain unknown or unexplained.
The substance had mysterious properties that baffled the chemists.
Travelers spoke of a mysterious island whose nature no one could describe.
Similaruncertain, undefined, esoteric
2
adjective
Behaving in a deliberately evasive or puzzling way.
The detective stayed mysterious about his real intentions throughout the interview.
Her mysterious replies only made the reporters more curious.
Similarsecretive, secret, furtive, covert, sly
Oppositeopen, forthcoming, frank, candid
3
adjective
Difficult to understand or make sense of.
The poem's meaning remained mysterious even after several readings.
Scientists still find the deep ocean a mysterious and largely unexplored place.
Similarincomprehensible, obscure, enigmatic, inexplicable, impenetrable
Oppositeclear, comprehensible, understandable, obvious
4
adjective
Having an origin or cause that is not known.
Investigators looked into the mysterious fire that destroyed the warehouse.
A mysterious noise kept coming from somewhere beneath the floorboards.
Similarunexplained, strange, puzzling, inexplicable, baffling

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English, probably coming partly from Middle French mystérieux and partly from Latin mystērium plus the suffix -ous; in effect, 'mystery' plus '-ous'.