Word
Definitions
01strange and unknown
B1 · Intermediate
adj. strange, unknown, or difficult to understand or explain.
adj. relating to or being a mystery; difficult or impossible to understand, explain, or identify.
“A mysterious light appeared in the sky late last night.”
“The detectives were baffled by the mysterious disappearance of the painting, as the security alarms had never been triggered.”
Synonyms
02secretive behavior
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. behaving in a way that shows you are keeping a secret.
adj. deliberately enigmatic or evasive in behavior or speech, often to provoke interest or hide information.
“He was being very mysterious about where he went last weekend.”
“She gave him a mysterious smile and refused to say another word about her plans for the upcoming merger.”
Usage
often used to describe a person's expression or tone of voice
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “mysterious” in context.
Verb
01. remain mysterious
“The origins of the ancient ruins remain mysterious to archaeologists even today.”
verb + adj
02. sound mysterious
“Her voicemail message sounded mysterious, leaving me worried about what had happened.”
verb + adj
Adjective
03. mysterious circumstances
“The witness disappeared under mysterious circumstances just before the trial began.”
adj + noun
04. mysterious disappearance
“Police are still investigating the mysterious disappearance of the famous painting.”
adj + noun
05. mysterious stranger
“A mysterious stranger arrived in town and started asking questions about the old mansion.”
adj + noun
Adverb
06. deeply mysterious
“The deep ocean is a deeply mysterious place that we have barely explored.”
adv + adj
07. somewhat mysterious
“He has a somewhat mysterious background that he rarely discusses with his colleagues.”
adv + adj
Real-World Examples
“Hearing about fields full of dead caterpillars enveloped in a mysterious white substance intrigued the South African scientist Letodi Luki Mathulwe.” “Football is fertile ground for stories of mysterious forces, blamed for everything from missed penalties to decades of failure .” “Rose pays thousands to a clinic to cure her mysterious paralysis while Sofia distracts herself with local beauty, Ingrid, as unresolved conflicts between mother and daughter start to boil over.” Etymology
From Middle English *misterius (implied in misteriusly), probably partly from Middle French mystérieux and partly from Latin mystērium + -ous. By surface analysis, mystery + -ous.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/mysterious
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0