English

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Etymology

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From mystery +‎ -ical.

Adjective

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mysterical (comparative more mysterical, superlative most mysterical)

  1. (archaic) Mysterious, mystic.
    • 1707, Le Wright, The Soul the Body at the Last-Day, Proved from Holy-Writ: Refuting the Common Receiv'd Opinion, That We ſhall be Judged in Our Corruptible Bodies, page 15:
      The Dead in Spirit is one thing, and the Dead in our Conſumed Fleſh is another; And thoſe that became the firſt Fruits of them that Slept. This I take to be the Myſterical Body.
    • 1766, Thomas Sadler, “Bunch Hesperus: or, The Mock-Artist: A Burleſque Poem.”, in Poems on various subjects. To which is added, The merry miller: or, The country-man's ramble to London, a farce, page 101:
      Old Darby ſo I ſhall him call, / Dreamed a Dream myſterical; / Which ſorely did torment his Thought, / Bewilder'd in a Trap was caught.
    • 1798, Alexander Campbell, “Additional Notes, Omissions, &c.”, in An introduction to the history of poetry in Scotland, page 365:
      “Song V. The bleſſed Bethlemite,” is devided into twelve ſections, in alphabetical order, containing the types, titles, attributes, &c. of Chriſt ; to which is prefixed a table, exhibiting at one view theſe myſterical names.
    • 1823 January 11, “Winter in Spitzbergen”, in The Minerva, volume 1, number 40, Arts and Sciences, page 318:
      They are so strong in the arm, that they can draw a bow which a stout Norwegian can hardly bend ; yet lazy even to torpidity, when not incited by necessity ; and pusillanimous and nervous to a mysterical degree.
    • 1949, Paul Einzig, “Iron sword currency on Britain” (chapter 14), in Primitive Money: In Its Ethnological, Historical and Economic Aspects, Eyre & Spottiswoode, Book II: Historical, Part I: Ancient Period, page 246:
      The fact that they were invariably found with animal remains certainly does indicate some mysterical use in sacrifice or sepulchural rites.
    • 2022 November, Guillermo M. Jodra, On Hellenism, Judaism, Individualism, and Early Christian Theories of the Subject, Bloomsbury Publishing, page 88:
      Independently of the nature of these contacts—sequential or parallel—the thought of this philosopher represents a living link between ancient mysterical cults, Greek philosophy, and monotheism.