mysterious

The word “mysterious” means difficult to understand or explain; hard to figure out. In plain terms, something puzzling, unexplained, or intentionally kept secret.

“Mysterious” is pronounced mih-STEER-ree-uhs (/mɪˈstɪɹi.əs/ in IPA).

Here is “mysterious” used in a sentence: “The house had a mysterious atmosphere that unsettled visitors.”

Words with a similar meaning to “mysterious” include arcane, cryptic, enigmatic, ill-defined, inenubilable and mysterial.

The opposite of “mysterious” — its antonyms — are known, unambiguous, unmysterious and well-defined.

“Mysterious” is an adjective.

The word “mysterious” comes from Latin. From Middle French mystérieux, ultimately from Latin mysterium ("mystery").

“Mysterious” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

Mysterious describes something difficult to understand, explain, or figure out, prompting curiosity. Suspicious implies that something seems dishonest or likely to be wrong, prompting distrust rather than mere intrigue.

Mysterious means hard to understand or explain, or deliberately secretive. Mystical relates to spiritual or supernatural qualities beyond ordinary understanding, often carrying a sense of the sacred.

Use mysterious for a person when they are deliberately vague or secretive about themselves and reveal little. It suggests intrigue and an air of the unknown rather than dishonesty.

Mysterious commonly pairs with words such as stranger, circumstances, disappearance, and figure. These collocations emphasise something unexplained, puzzling, or secretive.