mysterious
Of unknown origin.
Adjective 4 meanings
Of unknown origin.
“He received a mysterious phone call this morning.”
Having unknown qualities.
“Our boss is a mysterious man who hardly ever meets with us.”
Difficult to understand.
“Why he left without saying goodbye is quite mysterious.”
Deliberately evasive or enigmatic.
“Stop being mysterious and just tell me what you want.”
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.
Similar and opposite words
MYSTERIOUS at a glance
MYSTERIOUS has 10 letters and scores 15 points in Scrabble (M 3 + Y 4 + S 1 + T 1 + E 1 + R 1 + I 1 + O 1 + U 1 + S 1) and 16 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #5,345 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with mysterious
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