mystic

See also: Mystic

English

Alternative forms

• mystick (archaic)
• mystical (adjective)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *mewH-

Proto-Indo-European *mewH-ye-der.

Ancient Greek μῡ́ω (mū́ō)

Proto-Indo-European *-eti

Proto-Indo-European *-eyéti

Proto-Indo-European *-esyéti

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti

Ancient Greek -έω (-éō)

Ancient Greek μῠέω (mŭéō)

Proto-Indo-European *-tósder.

Ancient Greek -της (-tēs)

Ancient Greek μῠ́στης (mŭ́stēs)

Proto-Indo-European *-kos

Proto-Hellenic *-kos

Ancient Greek -κός (-kós)

Ancient Greek -ῐκός (-ĭkós)

Ancient Greek μῠστῐκός (mŭstĭkós)der.

Latin mysticus

Old French mistiqueder.

English mystic

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.

   Synonyms: mystical, sorcerous, sortilegious; see also Thesaurus:magical

   a mystic dance

2. Mysterious and strange; arcane, obscure or enigmatic.

   Synonyms: cryptic, ill-defined, mysterial; see also Thesaurus:mysterious

   • 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], “Canto XXXVI”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, 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

• metamystic
• mysticall
• mysticise
• Mystic Island
• mysticist
• mysticity
• mysticize
• mysticly
• mysticness
• Mystic Park
• nonmystic
• religiomystic
• semimystic
• unmystic

Translations

of, or relating to mystics, mysticism or occult mysteries

• Azerbaijani: mistik
• 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 Greek: 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)
• Romanian: mistic (ro)
• Russian: мисти́ческий (ru) (mistíčeskij)
• Spanish: místico (es)
• 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) (zagadăčen)
• 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

• Polish: mistyczny (pl)
• Portuguese: místico (pt)
• Russian: мисти́ческий (ru) (mistíčeskij)
• Spanish: místico (es)
• 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
• Esperanto: mistikulo
• 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
• Māori: whakatuatea
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: mystiker m

  Nynorsk: mystikar m

• Persian: عارف (fa) ('âref)
• Polish: mistyk (pl) m, mistyczka (pl) f
• Portuguese: místico (pt) m, mística (pt) 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 (2001–2026), “mystic”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “mystic”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “mystic”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.