mystery

/ˈmɪstri/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɪstəri/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmi-st(ə-)rē/ (ame, mw)

mystery — noun

  • mysterysingular
  • mysteriesplural

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

1.名詞B1
釋義

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

例句

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)

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • answer

    what resolves a mystery

  • solution

    the explanation that clears up the mystery

用法筆記

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').

常見錯誤

❌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.名詞B1
釋義

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

例句

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)

同義詞
  • 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

用法筆記

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').

常見錯誤

❌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.