adjective
mysterious
Difficult to understand or explain, often inviting curiosity.
A mysterious light appears above the lake every night.
Etymology
Mystery concerns something hidden or not understood. The adjective describes what retains that hidden quality and consequently invites explanation or curiosity.
More examples
- Someone left a mysterious package outside our door.
- Her mysterious smile makes me wonder what she knows.
- The cause of the engine failure remains mysterious.
Forms
mysterious · more mysterious · most mysterious
mystery noun — Something difficult to understand or explain.
mysteriously adverb — In a way that is not easily explained.
Similar words
- puzzling
- Emphasizes confusion or difficulty rather than secrecy or intrigue.
- enigmatic
- Suggests a hidden meaning that resists clear interpretation.
- inexplicable
- Suggests that no satisfactory explanation can be found.