mystic

See also: Mystic

English

Alternative forms

• mystick (archaic)
• mystical (adjective)

Etymology

From Old French mistique, from Latin mysticus, from Ancient Greek μυστικός (mustikós, “secret, mystic”), from μύστης (mústēs, “one who has been initiated”). Doublet of mystique.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɪstɪk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪstɪk

Adjective

mystic (comparative more mystic, superlative most mystic)

1. Of, or relating to mystics, mysticism or occult mysteries; mystical.

   a mystic dance

2. Mysterious and strange; arcane, obscure or enigmatic.
   • 1847, R[alph] W[aldo] Emerson, “Threnody”, in Poems, Boston, Mass.: James Munroe and Company, →OCLC, page 245:

     Taught he not thee—the man of eld, / Whose eyes within his eyes beheld / Heaven's numerous hierarchy span / The mystic gulf from God to man?

   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXXVI, page 56:

     Tho’ truths in manhood darkly join,
     ⁠Deep-seated in our mystic frame,
     ⁠We yield all blessing to the name
     Of Him that made them current coin; […]

Derived terms

• semimystic

Translations

of, or relating to mystics, mysticism or occult mysteries

• Bulgarian: мистичен (bg) (mističen)
• Catalan: místic (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 神秘 (zh) (shénmì)

• Dutch: mystiek (nl)
• Finnish: mystinen (fi)
• French: mystique (fr)
• German: mystisch (de)
• Greek: μυστικός (el) m (mystikós)

  Ancient: μυστικός (mustikós)

• Irish: misteach, mistiúil, doilfe, fáthrúnda
• Latin: mysticus
• Lithuanian: mistinis m, mistinė f
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: mystisk

  Nynorsk: mystisk

• Polish: mistyczny (pl)
• Portuguese: místico (pt)
• Russian: мисти́ческий (ru) (mistíčeskij)
• Swedish: mystisk (sv)
• Turkish: mistik (tr), gizemci (tr), gizemcil, gizemsel (tr), gizemsi
• Ukrainian: місти́чний (mistýčnyj)
• Welsh: cyfriniol (cy)

mysterious and strange

• Bulgarian: тайнствен (bg) (tajnstven), загадъчен (bg) (zagadǎčen)
• Catalan: místic (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 神秘 (zh) (shénmì)

• Dutch: mysterieus (nl), enigmatisch (nl), raadselachtig (nl), geheimzinnig (nl), duister (nl)
• Finnish: mystinen (fi)
• German: mystisch (de)
• Greek: μυστήριος (el) m (mystírios), μυστηριώδης (el) m (mystiriódis)
• Latin: mysticus, obscurus (la)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: mystisk

  Nynorsk: mystisk

• Portuguese: místico (pt)
• Russian: мисти́ческий (ru) (mistíčeskij)
• Swedish: mystisk (sv)
• Turkish: mistik (tr), gizemli (tr), esrarengiz (tr)
• Welsh: cyfriniol (cy)

Noun

mystic (plural mystics)

1. Someone who practices mysticism.

Derived terms

• rainforest mystic

Related terms

• mysterious
• mystery
• mystical
• mysticism
• mystify
• mystique

Translations

someone who practices mysticism

• Bulgarian: мистик m (mistik), мистичка f (mistička)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Czech: mystik (cs) m, mystička (cs) f
• Danish: mystiker c
• Dutch: mysticus (nl) m or f
• Finnish: mystikko (fi)
• French: mystique (fr) m or f
• German: Mystiker (de) m, Mystikerin (de) f
• Greek: μυστικιστής (el) m (mystikistís), μυστικίστρια (el) f (mystikístria)
• Hebrew: מיסטיקן
• Irish: misteach m
• Italian: mistico (it) m, mistica (it) f
• Lithuanian: mistikas m, mistikė f
• Maori: whakatuatea
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: mystiker m

  Nynorsk: mystikar m

• Persian: عارف (fa) ('âref)
• Polish: mistyk (pl) m, mistyczka (pl) f
• Portuguese: místico (pt) m, mística f
• Russian: ми́стик (ru) m (místik), мисти́чка (ru) f (mistíčka)
• Spanish: místico (es) m, mística (es) f
• Swedish: mystiker (sv) c
• Turkish: mistik (tr), gizemci (tr)
• Ukrainian: мі́стик m (místyk), місти́чка f (mistýčka)
• Volapük: müsteriman (vo), himüsteriman (male), jimüsteriman (female)
• Welsh: cyfriniolwr m

References

• “mystic”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “mystic”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• “mystic”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “mystic”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.