mystery

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈmɪs.t(ə.)ɹi/ See IPA manual

Freq #2109

Meanings

1

noun
Something that is hard or impossible to understand or explain.

How the keys ended up in the freezer is a complete mystery.
2

noun
A person or thing with a puzzling or unknown nature.

Even after years together, he remains a mystery to me.
3

noun
A story, book, or film about solving a crime or puzzle.

She loves reading murder mysteries on holiday.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · something that is hard or... puzzle enigma

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Word family

Forms mysteries

Derived forms bibliomysterydramysterymysteramamysteriarchmystericalmysteriedmysteriousmysterizemystery-mongermystery-mongeringmysterylessnonmystery

Related forms mystic mystical mysticism mystify mystique

Etymology

From Middle English mysterie, from Anglo-Norman misterie (Old French mistere), from Latin mysterium, from Ancient Greek μυστήριον (mustḗrion, “a mystery, a secret, a secret rite”), from μύστης (mústēs, “initiated one”), from μυέω (muéō, “to initiate”), from μύω (múō, “to shut”). Displaced native Old English ġerȳne.

mysterie Middle English misterie xno mysterium Latin μυστήριον Ancient Greek

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# mystery

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈmɪs.t(ə.)ɹi/
**Frequency rank:** 2109

## Meanings
1. Something that is hard or impossible to understand or explain.
2. A person or thing with a puzzling or unknown nature.
3. A story, book, or film about solving a crime or puzzle.

## Examples
- How the keys ended up in the freezer is a complete mystery.
- Even after years together, he remains a mystery to me.
- She loves reading murder mysteries on holiday.

## Synonyms
- enigma
- roun

## Derived Forms
- bibliomystery
- dramystery
- mysterama
- mysteriarch
- mysterical
- mysteried
- mysterious
- mysterize
- mystery-monger
- mystery-mongering
- mysteryless
- nonmystery

## Related Forms
- mystic
- mystical
- mysticism
- mystify
- mystique

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: mysterie
- Root: misterie
- Root: mysterium
- Root: μυστήριον

## Etymology
From Middle English mysterie, from Anglo-Norman misterie (Old French mistere), from Latin mysterium, from Ancient Greek μυστήριον (mustḗrion, “a mystery, a secret, a secret rite”), from μύστης (mústēs, “initiated one”), from μυέω (muéō, “to initiate”), from μύω (múō, “to shut”). Displaced native Old English ġerȳne.

## AI Etymology
Mystery comes from Middle English mysterie, from Anglo-Norman misterie (Old French mistere), from Latin mysterium, from Ancient Greek μυστήριον (mustḗrion, “a mystery, a secret, a secret rite”), from μύστης (mústēs, “initiated one”), from μυέω (muéō, “to initiate”), from μύω (múō, “to shut”). Displaced native Old English ġerȳne. In present-day English its meanings include something that is hard or impossible to understand or explain, a person or thing with a puzzling or unknown nature, and a story, book, or film about solving a crime or puzzle. The historical chain runs through mysterie (Middle English), misterie (Anglo-Norman), mysterium (Latin), and μυστήριον (Ancient Greek).

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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mystery

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