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   mys·ter·y

   /ˈmist(ə)rē/

   noun

   • 1. something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain: "the mysteries of outer space" Similar puzzleenigmaconundrumriddlesecretunsolved problemproblemquestionquestion markclosed bookinformal:poser
   • ▪ the condition or quality of being secret, strange, or difficult to explain: "much of her past is shrouded in mystery" Similar secrecydarknessobscurityambiguityambiguousnessuncertaintyimpenetrabilityvaguenessnebulousnessinscrutabilityinscrutablenessunfathomablenessmystiqueromance
   • ▪ a person or thing whose identity or nature is puzzling or unknown: "“He's a bit of a mystery,” said Nina"
   • 2. a novel, play, or movie dealing with a puzzling crime, especially a murder: "the 1920s murder mystery," Similar thrillerdetective story/novelmurder storyinformal:whodunit
   • 3. the secret rites of Greek and Roman pagan religion, or of any ancient or tribal religion, to which only initiates are admitted.
   • ▪ the practices, skills, or lore peculiar to a particular trade or activity and regarded as baffling to those without specialized knowledge: "the mysteries of analytical psychology"
   • ▪ the Christian Eucharist. archaic
   • 4. a religious belief based on divine revelation, especially one regarded as beyond human understanding: "the mystery of Christ"
   • ▪ an incident in the life of Jesus or of a saint as a focus of devotion in the Roman Catholic Church, especially each of those commemorated during recitation of successive decades of the rosary: "the first Sorrowful Mystery, the Agony in the Garden"

   Word Origin Middle English (in the sense ‘mystic presence, hidden religious symbolism’): from Old French mistere or Latin mysterium, from Greek mustērion; related to mystic.

   Scrabble Points: 15

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