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Added 9 October 2026

mysterious

/mɪˈstɪə̯.ɹi.əs/ adjective

Categories: Describing WordsUncommon Words

In Latin: arcanus, mysterius, obscurus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about mysterious at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. Of unknown origin.
    He received a mysterious phone call this morning.
  2. Having unknown qualities.
    Our boss is a mysterious man who hardly ever meets with us.
  3. Difficult to understand.
    Why he left without saying goodbye is quite mysterious.

Origin

From Middle English *misterius (implied in misteriusly), probably partly from Middle French mystérieux and partly from Latin mystērium + -ous. By surface analysis, mystery + -ous.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Related Words: inscrutablecrypticalcrypticmystifyingincomprehensibleinexplicableoccultsecretdeepesotericmysticalmystic

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