mystery

mystery — noun

1. a fact, event, or situation whose cause or explanation is unknown or hidden

1.nounB1
Definition

a fact, event, or situation whose cause or explanation is unknown or hidden

Example

How the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids remains a mystery to this day.

remain a mystery to + time expression

The cause of the shipwreck is still a complete mystery to investigators.

a complete / total / absolute mystery (intensifier pattern)

Common collocations
  • remain a mystery
  • solve a mystery
  • be shrouded in mystery
  • a complete / total mystery
  • a mystery to [someone]
Synonyms
  • enigma

    more formal and literary; suggests something deeply puzzling or even unknowable

  • puzzle

    more everyday; often implies something solvable, like a game or logic problem

  • riddle

    playful or folkloric tone; a cryptic question or paradox

Antonyms
  • answer

    what resolves a mystery

  • solution

    the explanation that clears up the mystery

Usage Note

Often used in the pattern 'it remains a mystery' or 'it is a mystery to [someone]'. Can be both countable ('a mystery', 'the mystery') and uncountable ('There is mystery in the air').

Common Mistakes

The reason for his anger is a mysterious.
The reason for his anger is a mystery.
'mysterious' is an adjective; use the noun 'mystery' after 'is a'.
The mystery why she left has never been solved.
The mystery of why she left has never been solved.
'mystery' is followed by 'of' before a wh-clause, not directly by the clause.

2. a work of fiction in which a puzzling crime is investigated and all the hidden f

2.nounB1
Definition

a work of fiction in which a puzzling crime is investigated and all the hidden facts come to light by the end

Example

Christopher loves reading mysteries on the train during his daily commute.

mystery as a countable noun for a story genre

The new mystery series on Netflix kept Beatriz guessing until the final episode.

mystery series / mystery novel / mystery film (noun modifier)

Common collocations
  • mystery novel
  • mystery series
  • mystery writer
  • read a mystery
  • a classic mystery
Synonyms
  • whodunit

    informal; specifically a story where the central puzzle is the identity of the criminal

  • detective story

    narrower focus; the main character is a professional or amateur detective

Usage Note

Commonly used as a noun modifier: 'mystery novel', 'mystery writer', 'mystery series'. The plural 'mysteries' can refer to the whole genre ('I enjoy reading mysteries').

Common Mistakes

I am reading a mystery romance novel.
I am reading a mystery novel about a disappearance.
The genre label 'mystery' requires a crime, puzzle, or unexplained event as a central plot element.
Idioms

be a mystery to somebody

idiom

to be something that someone cannot understand or explain

Why Inês decided to leave her job is a mystery to everyone in the office.

The way he fixed the old radio in five minutes is a mystery to me.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Mystery is the broadest term — it describes anything unknown or unexplained, from a scientific puzzle to a personal secret. Enigma is more formal and literary, suggesting something deeply puzzling or even unknowable about a person or situation. Puzzle is more everyday and often suggests something solvable through logic, like a crossword or a practical problem. Riddle has a playful or folkloric tone, suggesting a cryptic question or paradox meant to challenge the mind. Use 'mystery' for general unknown situations ('Why the ship vanished is a mystery'), 'enigma' for a person's inscrutable nature ('He remains an enigma'), 'puzzle' for a solvable problem ('The missing key was a puzzle'), and 'riddle' for a verbal brain-teaser ('The Sphinx's riddle').

mystery ↗enigma ↗puzzle ↗riddle ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • shrouded in mystery
  • remain a mystery
  • solve the mystery
  • a mystery to someone

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Mystery entered English in the 14th century from Old French 'mistere', which came from Latin 'mysterium' (a secret rite or secret thing). The Latin term itself was borrowed from Greek 'mysterion' (secret rite, secret doctrine), related to the verb 'myein' meaning 'to close' — as in closing the eyes or lips, because initiates in ancient religious ceremonies were sworn to secrecy. The word originally carried strong religious meanings (a divine secret revealed only to believers), but over time it broadened to refer to any puzzling or unknown thing.