mystery
English meaning: Mystery
Definition
Something secret or unexplainable; an unknown.
Example
“The truth behind the events remains a mystery.”
Another example: “How the ancient builders moved the huge stones remains a mystery.”
Usage — When, Where & How
Noun for something puzzling or unexplained ('an unsolved mystery'), a genre of fiction ('a murder mystery'), or, in religion, a sacred truth beyond reason. Common in everyday speech, literature and theology.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Greek mysterion 'secret rite or doctrine', from mystes 'one initiated', via Latin, dating to the 14th century.
Related Words
- suspense
- agatha
- mysteries
- thriller
- detective
- dungeon
- clues
- solved
- sherlock
- disappearance
Common Collocations
- solve a mystery
- murder mystery
- unsolved mystery
- mystery novel
- shrouded in mystery
- mystery to me
Word Forms
mystery (n); mysteries; mysterious (adj); mysteriously (adv)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B